Canadians hoping for breakthrough cures for a range of diseases
from juvenile diabetes to Parkinson's to spinal cord injuries should
rejoice in the decision of U.S. President George W. Bush
to fund partial stem cell research.
That's because hidden in the nuances of a "balanced" Bush
decision is an open door for his Republican administration to
allow such research to be fully funded without the president
taking any more political heat.
In appointing a presidential council to be headed by University
of Chicago bioethicist Dr. Leon Cass and made up of
medical specialists, legal experts and clergy, Bush has insulated himself
from further disappointing his pro-life supporters who consider stem cell
research "murder."
Bush announced on live TV Thursday that he will allow
funding for 60 stem cell lines which have already been
removed from human embryos, but will not fund the required
destruction of more embryos to get additional cells.
That means more than 110,000 excess frozen embryos destined to
be discarded -- the in-vitro fertilization process creates more lab
embryos than women require -- won't immediately be available for
potentially life-saving research. Source.
