Stem cells won't save us from disease

Friday, August 13, 2004

JAY AMBROSE
SYNDICATED COLUMNIST

Being cynical or maybe just ignorant, John Kerry and John Edwards are making it sound as if embryonic stem-cell research could save the world from Alzheimer's disease any day now if President Bush weren't being such a jerk in stopping it.

First lady Laura Bush called the Democratic candidates for president and vice president on their misleading campaign tactic the other day, pointing out that "embryonic stem-cell research is very preliminary," that it is not true there are Alzheimer cures "around the corner" and said that her husband was the first U.S. president ever to authorize federal money for the research.

It's a fact, of course, that George W. Bush confined his authorized $25 million to stem-cell lines in existence and that some believe a consequence will be minimal explorations that are federally financed, but there are other facts to think about, as well.

It is a fact that scientists are highly skeptical that this research will provide answers for Alzheimer's, although there are hopes it might ultimately -- years and years from now -- help address other diseases, such as diabetes. A possibility is that the research will never yield a cure for anything, no matter how well financed.

It is a fact that interesting progress is being made in adult stem-cell research and that this could end up having far more potential than embryonic stem-cell research with none of the ethical concerns.

It is a fact that the president's policy has no consequence on privately funded research and that money has been secured for embryonic stem-cell research programs at Harvard and Stanford universities. Policy or no policy, science marches on.

A persuasive case certainly can be made against Bush's stance, although it's going too far to suggest, as some do, that he is merely catering to religious superstitions in order to win votes. Is there really no reason for some caution, some hesitancy, in using public funds for a research process that entails the killing of human embryos?

Laura Bush got it right.

Jay Ambrose is director of editorial policy for Scripps Howard Newspapers and can be reached at AmbroseJ@shns.com

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