Happy Anniversary Stem Cells. Yes, it is the anniversary of the ban being lifted on embryonic stem cell research. Just about a year ago, March 9, 2009, President Obama signed an executive order reversing President Bush‘s 8-year ban on expanding research using embryonic stem cells.
And the headlines and the hoopla that followed – what a Great Day! We are on the verge of breaking through; we are on the brink, on the threshold, on the edge, at the point, almost THERE. Well, HERE we are a year later and THERE has not been realized.
What a ton of publicity. Our scientists claimed they were ready to have Superman walk once again. Diseases would be cured. Arthritis would be alleviated. Everything from common ailments to obscure, little known medical debilitating diseases would be wiped out. Great things would be forthcoming from the research on embryonic stem cells. The great cures. The greatest was expected. No more diabetes, no more Parkinson’s, no more Alzheimer’s.
And here we are one year later.
These are the quotes that came from President Obama that day: “An important step in advancing the cause of science in America,” “We will vigorously support scientists who pursue this research,” and, “We will aim for America to lead the world in the discoveries it one day may yield.”
Did I mention the $7.4 billion in the stimulus package for National Institute of Health grants? Grants for this, grants for that, it all adds up and goes into the billions.
Obama’s executive order stopped the 8-year Bush-bashing on the stem cell topic. They always had to make sure to get in a few swipes at Bush whenever they spoke about stem cells.
Well, the latest item I could find with money attached to it was February 20, 2010 (nanowerk.com) – $11.5 million NIH Center grant funds novel cancer stem cell research at the Methodist Hospital Research Institute. This they say is a “completely new strategy,” and probably they are right. “New horizon for cancer research”. Everything seems new. What happened to the old stuff? What happened to the stuff that a year ago they were talking about that we are almost THERE. If only… if only they would fund stem cell research, if only the government lifted the ban on research… we are almost THERE. All that old research is no good? Seems like a lot of money went into funding research. Tax-payer money. If they were claiming that the cure was just around the corner, I would imagine the $$$MONEY$$$ funded for the research would certainly be all that was needed.
Back on June 25th, 2009, there was the Patriot’s Forum at Princeton University called Life and Politics with Dick Morris, Robert George and John Crowley. Dick Morris had written Catastrophe, a best-selling book describing our political scene with the new administration. Professor Robert George spoke about LIFE issues and how stem cells effect the political currents. The Professor pointed out that the biggest agenda item in the news prior to the 9/11 attack was Bush’s speech in August of 2001 on Stem Cells. John Crowley, a businessman, spoke about his children and the rare disease they battle. You may be most familiar with the Harrison Ford movie about John Crowley’s family.
It was a most interesting evening sponsored by the Notre Dame Club of New Jersey. That’s right, I said Notre Dame. Usually the two are not mentioned together when one considers how we obtain embryonic stem cells. But Notre Dame had hosted President Obama and certain Catholic symbols needed to be covered up when he was present.
The forum at Princeton University drew a large audience of highly intelligent people. It was a most intelligent audience. How I know the audience was most intelligent is because I was there, I was one of them. The science, the thought, the possibilities, the economics of it, the wide spread uses, the hopes, the dreams, the forthcoming changes. Everybody, everywhere would be affected by what stem cells could do.
So now they can no longer bash Bush. Now it’s one year from the signing of the executive order. Money has changed hands. No, make that $$$MONEY$$$ has changed hands. Research. Grants. New studies conducted.
Where are the Break Throughs?
Where are the Cures?
The diseases are still here.
The problems remain.
So much for being ON THE BRINK.
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All this was ever about was legitimizing abortion. They need this to proclaim that the harvest of our unborn children is justified because of all the great things these stem cells would do. The fact is that the only advances that have been made with stem cells have been made with adult stem cells that don't require killing the unborn. Typical liberal progressive hypocrisy.
Hey, at least they are consistent…wrong about everything they touch.
Bet you won’t see this getting any exposure in MSM.
But you see, the purpose has been served. Obama got his publicity. That was the important bit. Ask any liberal…
Life begins at birth, not conception. Try writing a fetus – any fetus from conception to 9 months – off on your 1040 as a dependent.
Let them abort as many fetues as they want. Most come from people of color anyway.
gee, you’re right. they’ve had a year, and they accomplished nothing! i mean hell, it’s not like they would have had 8 extra years to work on this technology had Bush not banned it or anything right? right? riiiiiiiiiiight.
Of course there’s nothing …Obama and the rest of his ilk just wanted to have a way to play with…and then kill..off God’s creation. Must’ve really given them the big bad macho-the he-she included in Obamas administration? “I hold life in my hands and I can take it whenever I want–legally. Any which way I want. That’s my “heartitude” opinion and I’m sticking to it.
Oh? @georgetheatheist? Soon your very own holiday is coming up! When? April 1st..you know…April “fool’s” day…You tell that to the Creator of life..–>you tell HIM / ALMIGHTY GOD when life begins..People such as yourself are so sad and pitiful. Thinking you are wise you have become fools and celebrate it by your so-called “intellect” every chance you get..Preening for one another like you even “have a clue” – that “intellect” will get you no-where on Judgment Day. Well…yes it will-but nowhere good for all eternity–whether you believe it or not makes no never mind to God. We don’t tell GOD–He tells us. I hope you truly get some wisdom before the day you breathe your last breath–or our Lord returns..whichever comes first.
It is Ironic that YOU ARE SO POORLY READ on the Subject. LOL. It is also Ironic that the Picture you used as far as StemCells photo, is the Blastomere process photo from Advanced Cell Technology. ACT’s Blastomere process takes ONE Cell from a 3-5 old Embryo to create the Cell Lines for its pipelines. This process is identical to the IVF process of which has resulted in thousands of healthy baby’s. ACT was given Orphan Drug Status for its Stargardts Eye Disease. IN about 1-3weeks the FIRST Human Commercialization Clinical will be Approved by the FDA. Geron was “kinda” 1st, but has a snowballs chance of EVER moving forward on its IND.
So again, do some research before You start bashing your hands against the key board.
feeed
@ georgetheathiest: so now life begins at tax exemption? Your logic does not add up. Babies have been prematurely born before 6 months – sometimes close to 3 – and have lived to become full grown people. That’s because THEY ARE HUMAN BEINGS while developing in the womb – it’s just that they can’t live without being inside the womb very well until they’re ready!
Also, the only thing GWB banned was the use of government money to fund FETAL stem cell research. It always has been perfectly legal to use private money to fund such research! And it’s always been perfectly legal to use government money to fund stem cell research that does not use dead babies! In fact, a lot of great achievements have been done in stem cell research that does not use murdered babies.
The money should have been put into adult stem cell research as there has already been some breakthroughs, but that wouldn’t have suited the liberal agenda.
Instead, billions will be wasted in order to give some in academia research money to play with rats for the next decade. All of the progress with stem cells is being done in private companies with investors. Check out http://www.stemcellpioneers.com and see what I mean
This whole article is based upon misinformation and bombast!
First, some corrections:
1) As a person who is handicapped (see below) I can personally vouch that no doctor who supported embryonic stem cell research ever promised me an instant cure. Instead, I was told it could be 10, 15, 20 years down the road. All that Bush did was to delay any potential cures.
2) Hans Kirstead has already made human neurons from embryoinic stem cells. Add that to the above comment by feeed an there are some breakthroughs already here.
3) When you impede embryonic stem cell research you also needlessly impede adult stem cell research. If you talk to any adult stem celll researcher worth his salt, he’ll tell you the very same thing. Both types of stem cell research are necesasary for comparative analysis.
4) Many conservatives support the federal funding of embryonic stem cell research: Jim Pinkerton, Nancy Reagan and Orrin Hatch are a few examples. It’s not a left-right thing. In fact, many religions support it too; all four branhes of Judaism, the Episcopalian Church, the Presbyterian Church, UCC and the majority of American Catholics.
I am a church-going Catholic who suffers from LMG muscular dystrophy. This research is vital to my chances for my chanchces of ever walking: That’s why I support it.
Read excerpt Frank L. Cococzzelli response below (the whole orginal response below too). The is new era of science – watch great public companies like STEM and GERN save lives and hep millions in need!
1) As a person who is handicapped (see below) I can personally vouch that no doctor who supported embryonic stem cell research ever promised me an instant cure. Instead, I was told it could be 10, 15, 20 years down the road. All that Bush did was to delay any potential cures.
2) Hans Kirstead has already made human neurons from embryoinic stem cells. Add that to the above comment by feeed an there are some breakthroughs already here.
Like everythnig else the right led by a bunch of religious bible thumping and mostly racist folks wants President Obama to have fixed everything President Bush either destroyed like our economy, our reputation globally, and the science that Dubya the dunce set back eight(8) years. I can attest that Diabetes has already been cured by stem cells period, spinal cord injury embryonic stem cells therapy will be tried on humans this year by GERON, The University of Miami and other medical centers are using stem cells to reinvigorate heart muscles on patients that have suffered heart attacks, macular degeneration blindness has been cured. All of this progress in one year look it all up yourself. I am a paralyzed Vietnam veteran and Thank God for the election of a man of intellect and integrity named Barack hussein Obama I will walk again thanks to progress on this front and could probably already be dancing with my wife were it not for the dunce righties. OBAMANOS!
Good points Tex. For my 2 cents I'd like to say to the author, How did you expect breakthroughs in the 1st year? Nobody except a few companies were willing to do the research. Universities for the most part would NOT do embryonic stem cell research under the bush hog, because if a stem cell research facility so much as used a pencil from the greater federally funded campus, the entire campus could lose all federal funding. It was a war against science and reason, and most importantly a war against real live human beings, our mothers, our fathers, our sisters and our brothers. They will die sooner thanks to the lying loud mouthed false Christian nazis.
The author criticizes research on cancer stem cells. Cancer stem cells are the reason cancer comes back, they are how it spreads, they are the population of tumor cells that pump out chemotherapy, that grow faster with radiation treatment (unless fried by it). Not studying cancer stem cells is the stupidest most irresponsible path imaginable. Criticism of the embryonic stem cell therapies that will save your children's lives is just as stupid. To the author, Lear before you Write, expand your horizons, don' t let ignorance, politics, and religious hatred and intolerance guide your pen. Seek the truth in all things. Don't be a mindless puppet.
You cannot win an ethics debate when lies and propaganda are substituted for scientific facts.
1. The ethics debate was stolen in July of 2001, when George W. Bush & his political pundit Karl Rove, met with the Pope and the leaders of the GOP voting faith base and they placed embryonic stem cell research into the evil doer abortion basket.
2. Spreading a stem cell lie for religious and political gain is the real ethics issue. The big science lie that members of the GOP Faith base distort is…an embryo in a petri dish will never develop into a real live breathing human being unless…that embryo is placed into a mothers womb and once those combinations of cells are incubated in the womb…you have conception and the beginning of life. Stem cell researchers are not paying poor women to abort their unborn babies, because fertility clinics have 500.000 un used embryos that will be tossed into the medical waste baskets.
3. If you believe all those GOP Faith Base lies about discarded embryos in a petri dishes turning into real human beings… then you better go check those eggs in your refrigerator and count your baby chicks.
4. The real ethics debate should be over the blood thirsty murdering Christian, who supported the murder of hundreds of thousands of real live breathing innocent people, who just happened to live in a country with massive oil reserves and a corrupt political leader.The Blackwater Murdering Christian cult just got kicked out of Iraq. Our own FBI found that the Blackwater Christian thugs killed unarmed women and children and in some cases used them for target practice. Blackwater was Bush’s private government funded army and Blackwater use millions of Bush’s dirty dollars to help Bush win the Stem cell political wars
What is the connection between Erik Prince, owner of Blackwater/Xe, perhaps the world’s largest private army, and David Prentice, Ph.D, widely-known opponent of embryonic stem cell research?
Money, political power,no bid contracts and the use of Jesus as a political weapon.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/don-c-reed/eric-prince-and-david-pre_b_446709.html
Logician says" "…babies have been prematurely born…" The operative word is BORN. See, the mother does indeed get a tax write-off. It's very simple to understand. Wanda, at one point in history, the Church said that "ensoulment" occurrs at the time of quickening, not conception. And the Church said also that the sun goes around the earth. If YOU don't like abortion, then YOU don't get one. Do the American thing, keep the government out of the uterus..
Macular Degeneration Embryonic Stem Cell treatment is already successful!
When the number of children and adults who suffered and died due to your actions are counted, you can ask God to forgive you for subsituting your political will for God's Will. You can say it wasn't your fault, you were too busy to check any of the "facts" provided by your politico-religious "leaders"
You have lots of company, the "psuedo christians" who assisted in exterminating the disabled & minorities throughout history in the name of religion and those who claim God is against any medical treatment and the fanatics who agree with you that it is ok to force others to die for your religious beliefs are your ethical companions.
Anyone who has any idea regarding scientific research will realize the time it takes for therapies to come to fruition. Because of the ban on federal funding, research was halted because the scientists did not have the money to push forward. Now that the ban has been lifted, they can only begin what other countries have been doing for years. Diseases are not cured and approved by the FDA in a year’s time. It takes 5, 10, or more years. This article is terrible. The author is very out of the loop and is making accusations that hold NO MERIT.
@Georgetheatheist: You sound like Madalyn Murray O'Hair!! I hope you don't look like her!!
I despised MMO'H not because she was an atheist but because she was a left-winger, a collectivist. Atheism is not a leftwing phenomenon. Christianity is a form of collectivism. Christianity and Communism are similar in their collective metaphysics. Christianity, dare I say it, is a leftwing phenomenon. Atheism is atheism. The great Ayn Rand was an atheist. Christians used to attack the Soviet Union for being"atheistic communism". They could not attack the USSR for being communist alone. Atheism and communism are NOT 2 peas in a pod. Long live atheistic Capitalism!
BTW you can thank the Church for persecuting Galileo. The Church also forbade the dissecting of cadavers in medical schools thereby throwing a monkey wrench into the science of anatomy. How much more advanced we would have been these days without the interference of religious nuts. Indeed, you dear reader, might live longer and without pain were it not for this historical interference.