Stem Cells

The House of Representatives yesterday approved two bills regarding stem cell research: the first loosens federal restrictions on using tax money to fund embryonic stem cell research - it passed 238-194.

The second is the Stem Cell Therapeutic and Research Act (H.R. 2520), which establishes a federal program to make umbilical cord blood stem cells available to patients. That one passed 431-1.

Regarding the first of these bills, I found this passage in an NRO editorial:

Congressmen also referred to the possibility that America would lose its scientific and economic “edge” if the federal government did not subsidize this research.

Now here's some info from a Wisconsin Right to Life news release, issued yesterday:

EMBRYONIC STEM CELL RESEARCH TREATMENTS = 0
None. No known cures or successful human therapies

ADULT STEM CELL RESEARCH TREATMENTS = 56
56 known successful human therapies

1. Brain Cancer
2. Retinoblastoma
3. Ovarian Cancer
4. Merkel Cell Cancer
5. Testicular Cancer
6. Lymphoma
7. Acute Lymphobolastic Leukemia
8. Acute Myelogenous Leukemia
9. Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia
10. Juvenile Myelomonocytic Leukemia
11. Angioimmunoblastic Lymphadenopathy with Dysproteinemia
12. Multiple Myeloma
13. Myelodysplasia
14. Breast Cancer
15. Neuroblastoma
16. Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma
17. Hodgkin's Lymphoma
18. Renal Cell Carcinoma
19. Various Solid Tumors
20. Soft Tissue Sarcoma
21. Scleromyxedema
22. Multiple Sclerosis
23. Crohn's Disease
24. Rheumatoid Arthritis
25. Juvenile Arthritis
26. Systemic Lupus
27. Polychondritis
28. Systemic Vasculitis
29. Sjogren's Syndrome
30. Behcet's Disease
31. Myasthenia
32. Red Cell Aplasia
33. Autoimmune Cytopenia
34. X-Linked Lymphoproliferative Syndrome
35. X-Linked Hyperimmunoglobuline-M Syndrome
36. Severe Combined Immunodeficiency Syndrome-X1
37. Sickle Cell Anemia
38. Sideroblastic Anemia
39. Waldenstrom's Macroglobulinemia
40. Aplastic Anemia
41. Amegakaryocytic Thrombocytopenia
42. Chronic Epstein-Barr Infection
43. Fanconi's Anemia
44. Diamond Blackfan Anemia
45. Thalassemia
46. Stroke
47. Osteogenesis Imperfecta
48. Sandhoff Disease
49. Corneal Regeneration
50. Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis
51. Primary Amyloidosis
52. Limb Gangrene
53. Surface Wound Healing
54. Heart Damage
55. Parkinson's Disease
56. Spinal Cord Injury

Seems to me we're in greater danger of losing our scientific edge by wasting precious research dollars on embryonic research, instead of funneling them into areas that have actually shown results.

I know, there's the possibility that embryonic research may eventually, at some undefined point in a hazy future, provide real medical advances.

But it hasn't yet, while other forms of stem cell research have.

UPDATE - similar comments on Townhall.com's blog.