Science is back, under Obama.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has cleared the way for the world’s first study of human embryonic stem cell therapy, Geron Corp said on Friday.
The California biotechnology company plans to start a clinical trial to try to use the stem cells to regrow nerve tissue in patients with acute spinal cord injury.
“This marks the beginning of what is potentially a new chapter in medical therapeutics — one that reaches beyond pills to a new level of healing: the restoration of organ and tissue function achieved by the injection of healthy replacement cells,” Geron Chief Executive Thomas Okarma said in a statement.
You mean we’re no longer ruled by medieval know-nothing religious whack-job pandering anti-Science douchebags? Well OK, then.
Gee, silly me. And here I thought that it was just a ban on using federal funding on the research, not banning it outright.
…and hasn’t it also been non-embryonic cells that have been the most successful, and embryonic ones a bust?
J.
Of course, considering a decent chunk of medical research is only possible due to federal funding, saying it’s not a big deal there’s been no federal funding for the last 8 years is sort of like cutting somebody’s leg off at the knee and then being shocked they’re having problems winning a foot race.
My grandfather had Alzheimer’s and my wife’s father died from diabetes before he was 50. Get in those labs and get to work, fellas.
…and hasn’t it also been non-embryonic cells that have been the most successful, and embryonic ones a bust?
Hey everyone, in addition to fighting in Iraq, Jay’s also a medical research doctor. Huzzah!
ed, if I was going to make some pronouncements of authority, I wouldn’t phrase it in the form of a question.
MUST you be such a predictable little fuckhead? Is it something genetic?
(Note the question again — I am not making statements of authority here, either.)
J.
“Hey everyone, in addition to fighting in Iraq, Jay’s also a medical research doctor. Huzzah!”
Mega-Lulz.
Jay, here’s the way science works — the more researches and resources you have working on a given problem (say, a disease) the more likely you are to cure it or find out a new way of treating it.
Federal funding for stem cell research is a good thing for people who need help.
But thank you once again for fighting for our freedoms. I forget, are you in Iraq or Afghanistan?
J.G.Thayer: “Gee, silly me. And here I thought that it was just a ban on using federal funding on the research, not banning it outright.”
If you do stem cell research, then you lose funding for anything that can be used for stem cell research. Stuff like petri dishes.
“…and hasn’t it also been non-embryonic cells that have been the most successful, and embryonic ones a bust?”
No.
Next question.
J.G.Thayer: “ed, if I was going to make some pronouncements of authority, I wouldn’t phrase it in the form of a question.
MUST you be such a predictable little fuckhead? Is it something genetic?
(Note the question again — I am not making statements of authority here, either.)”
It’s called a Cavuto. We are not stupid enough to fall for it.
Jaim, you one-note shithead, I’m going to break my policy and spell out some personal matters:
One of the reasons I never served in the military is a medical condition. No, I’m not going to discuss it, but it’s incurable (albeit controllable) and will most likely eventually kill me — after it eventually cripples me. And it’s a genetic ailment that is one of those often cited as potentially treatable by stem cell research.
In other words, part of the reason I never served is because I have a very serious condition that stem cell treatments might eventually cure.
I recognize that a lot of people have moral objections to the use of stem cells obtained from aborted fetuses. I do not share their objections, but I respect their right to say that they do not want their tax money used to fund research using aborted fetuses.
As noted, there is nothing preventing philanthropists and biomedical companies from funding and carrying out their own research into fetal stem cells. Hell, California’s government chose to invest $3 billion on it.
Hre’s a news flash: the federal government is not the only source of funding. Hell, in most cases, it’s often the worst source — considering all the strings that are usually attached.
J.
But it’s incredibly ignorant of you to say that research into a given disease doesn’t actively suffer if it doesn’t get Federal funding. You just don’t understand how the system works, and you’ve decided to spread your ignorance to others. Federal funding = major American universities, where most of our scientific breakthroughs take place.
Makes it hard to sympathize with you, although I do, and with anyone else who suffers from a condition that might eventually be cured.
I don’t recall asking for your sympathy, Jaim. In fact, you can take your sympathy and shove it up your ass. I just got tired of your same old bullshit over and over again.
You know what is the single most defining characteristic of my health issues is? That they’re mine. I own ‘em. And I don’t choose to share them, except in the most extenuating circumstances. And you managed to tie them into your arguments twice. I knew you’d continue to do so unless I gave up a bit of my privacy in order to tell you to shut the fuck up — because you don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about.
“Major American universities?” Like, say, Harvard and Yale, with their billions and billions of endowments? Their tax-exempt status?
And I’d bet you were on the side who howled about the” obscene” profits of Big Pharmaceuticals. You don’t think they’d be delighted to plow some of those profits into stem cell research if they thought it would be profitable? They’d not only get rid of some of their bad PR by cutting their profits, they’d be heroes for the effort.
No, what federal funding pretty much guarantees is that politicians and bureaucrats will substitute their judgment for that of science and the free market. Certain colleges will get grants because of whose congressional district they are in or which of their alumni are in positions of power. Others without such clout won’t.
Is that guaranteed to happen here? No. But it’s what happens most of the time when the federal government gets involved.
J.
“And I don’t choose to share them, except in the most extenuating circumstances.”
Like you’re doing now, because I came over to your house and forced you to? Wha? You offered up your medical background for all to read. I offered condolences. You act like a whiny little bitch. A pattern emerges.
“Major American universities?” Like, say, Harvard and Yale, with their billions and billions of endowments? Their tax-exempt status?”
I realize you don’t like them pointy-heads, but that’s where the breakthrough comes from. And it’s not just medicine, either. And no, I wouldn’t defend anything any scientist ever does, but for eight years we’ve had faith-based rather than performance-based approaches to medical advancements. Guess which one works better?
“And I’d bet you were on the side who howled about the ‘obscene’ profits of Big Pharmaceuticals.”
Ah, the best of Jay. Changing the subject and putting words in my mouth. Nice try, champ.
“No, what federal funding pretty much guarantees is that politicians and bureaucrats will substitute their judgment for that of science and the free market.”
Right, because the biggest scientific advances of the 20th century had nothing to do with Federally funded research. Uh-huh. I mean, the University of Chicago really just go in the way of nuclear research. Some little lone-wolf scientist would totally have split the atom down in his mom’s basement if we’d just given him enough Cheetohs and free time.
Sorry, but you lose yet again.
They’d not only get rid of some of their bad PR by cutting their profits, they’d be heroes for the effort.
Doubt it. They wouldn’t want to offend the Pro-life crowd, you know, the ones buying the most Viagra and Cialis.
I am not making statements of authority here, either.
Looks like you did right there.
Bus.
Ted.
Hre’s a news flash: the federal government is not the only source of funding. Hell, in most cases, it’s often the worst source — considering all the strings that are usually attached.
I assume you’re talking about AIDS funding in Africa, where the money’s tied to Abstinence Only Education (and other stuff). Republicans, so awful.
Ignoring the trolls and back to the task at hand:
While this is great news, we can’t really put it directly at Obama’s feet. This has been a long time coming, federal funding or no.
That said, of course stem cell research (and science in general) will see great gains during this administration, and I look forward to it.
Aw, did Jaim hurt Jay’s fee-fees?
“Major American universities?” Like, say, Harvard and Yale, with their billions and billions of endowments? Their tax-exempt status?
Jay, those universities get endowments because their alumni contribute important things to society. Liberty University doesn’t because the only things their alumni contribute are increased teen pregnancy rates and murder of homosexuals.
J.G.Thayer: “One of the reasons I never served in the military is a medical condition. No, I’m not going to discuss it, but it’s incurable (albeit controllable) and will most likely eventually kill me — after it eventually cripples me. And it’s a genetic ailment that is one of those often cited as potentially treatable by stem cell research.”
Wait a minute? You have an medial condition that will kill you, and you donate blood? Or was that someone else? I have a chronic illness that in no way is life threatening (but wholly untreatable (the last bit of advice I got from my doctor about it was, “Learn to live with it.”)) and I was told never to donate blood.
“No, what federal funding pretty much guarantees is that politicians and bureaucrats will substitute their judgment for that of science and the free market.”
Science does not benefit from the free market. Not all research will produce profitable results, but you never know what previous research will become the basis for the next big discovery.
Federal funding won’t guarantee, but it will make it much more likely that the discoveries made will be able to benefit all of society, and not just enrich big pharmaceutical companies, who would otherwise own 100% of the new technologies.
And since part of the job of the United States government is to, ‘promote the general welfare’ of its citizens. Federal funding for medical research is one way to do that.
And I don’t care if some think it is immoral. There are those who think all medicines are immoral, the government shouldn’t base their decisions on what every wackjob thinks is immoral.