Stem Cell Alternatives Bring Skepticism

[leftchick]

~snip~

Sen. Tom Harkin (news, bio, voting record), D-Iowa, said any legislation to pay for theoretical alternatives is a ploy by the White House to sink his bill, which would lift President Bush's restrictions on federal funding for embryonic stem cell research. Bush and many conservatives say such studies are immoral because the process destroys the embryo.

Harkin countered that paying for less-proven alternatives isn't right either.

"The method we're discussing today hasn't been published in a single scientific journal. It hasn't even cleared the peer review process. What's more, it's only been tried in mice. We're a long way from proving it works with human embryos," Harkin said in prepared remarks.

The scientists' methods got no friendlier reception from Sen. Arlen Specter (news, bio, voting record), R-Pa., the Republican chairman of the committee holding Tuesday's hearing. Specter, a cancer patient, said in an interview that he is growing impatient with the delay in studies on the all-purpose cells, considered by some to carry great promise in the search for cures of diseases like cancer, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's.

~snip~

Set to testify are four scientists whose alternative research is being considered by Bush, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist and other conservatives who want to vote for alternative stem cell legislation that does not destroy budding human life.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050712/ap_on_go_co/senate_stem_cells;_
ylt=AsmLgNKbYzVVikX2u9E1Aj6s0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTA3b2NibDltBHNlYwM3MTY-

[DeepModem Mom]

1. This is such an important issue -- I hope it doesn't get lost...

amid so many other important things going on. Not to pass this bill because of some possible new "method" is stupid and cruel.

[leftchick]

2. the new "methods" seem to be useless...

The US is once again far behind in research because of these fundies who cherish embryos instead of real suffering human beings.

:(

[Betsy Ross]

3. "The scientists' methods ..."

Or are they fundamentalists praying over a petri dish?

[leftchick]

4. with out even googling their names

that would be my best guess.

[leftchick]

5. From the hearing today: One of the Scientists agrees with harkin!

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050712/ap_on_go_co/senate_stem_cells;_ylt=AorHy8pwLt308nUKSg8d5lqyFz4D;_ylu=X3oDMTBiMW04NW9mBHNlYwMlJVRPUCUl

~snip~

Testifying Tuesday were four scientists whose alternative research is being considered by Bush, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist and other conservatives who want to vote for embryonic stem cell legislation that does not destroy budding human life.

~snip~

While interesting, the methods aren't worth funding without passing the Specter-Harkin bill, the sponsors said. One of the scientists agreed.

Robert Lanza, vice president of medical and scientific research for Advanced Cell Technology, which is developing one type of alternative research, called any choice between the Specter-Harkin bill and a conservative alternative that might fund his own studies "a no-brainer."

"We need to pass (H.R.) 810," he said, referring to the House-passed version. "I do not think we should keep the scientific community or the patient community waiting."