So many diseases, but so few cures? In her column "Advancement stems from research," Amanda LaBonar touted the "potential" cures of embryonic stem cell research (ESCR) that has been hindered by a lack of funding and support. That may have been true years ago, but new evidence as of now has refuted both her points.

First, ESCR has been funded mainly through private donations. Support from such people as Nancy Reagan, Mary Tyler Moore, Michael J. Fox and the late Christopher Reeves brought much money to the efforts to find cures through ESCR. Fox's foundation has raised fifty million dollars so far as well as the Starr Foundation in New York contributing the same amount. Most recently, California voters passed Proposition 71 that allows for $3 billion dollars to aid in the research efforts. Money or support is not what is lacking in progress of the research.

What is lacking is success. It appears that the "holy grail" of cures found in ESCR does not hold water. As of yet, there have been no successful cures derived from ESCs. In fact, it may hold more potential for disaster. In a study on mice with Parkinson-like symptoms, ESCs caused brain tumors in 20 percent of the mice and that was using a lower than recommended amount of stem cells. An article in the March 2004 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine found that embryonic stem cells from stem cell lines have severe chromosomal abnormalities, some that appear cancerous. If that is not enough to dissuade you, then noted ESCR pioneer John Gearhart's words should. In Washington Fax in 2002, he remarked that ESCs will probably never derive any useful therapies.

Yet, Gearhart said there is hope found in the non-controversial adult stem cells derived from individuals, umbilical cords and placenta tissue. To date, these cells have repaired damaged tissue in patients from heart attacks, assisted leukemia patients in the way of bone marrow transplants, assisted paralyzed patients regain mobility, and there are many more success stories. Another advantage is that stem cells derived from the patient have less risk of being rejected by the patient's immune system than ESCs. Finally, it is much less expensive to obtain these stem cells and harvest them than ESCs. Adult stem cells have been found in every major organ and appear sufficient to provide any type of desirable cell line. ESCs would require paying women thousands of dollars to obtain eggs for one stem cell line.

Big biotechnology seems to be driving the push for ESCR. Several scientists pushing for ESCR are also chief executive officers and board members of major pharmaceutical companies such as Thomas Okarma of Geron Corp and Harvad University scientist Douglas Melton of Curis Inc. They stand to make a lot of money from developing stem cell lines and obtaining patents. Researchers are given financial incentives at universities to do ESCR. First, they fleece America with high drug costs, and now they want taxpayer dollars for their costly ESRC. Big bio is like big tobacco and will manipulate science for their financial gain.

I echo LaBonar's hopes of finding cures, but let us invest in proven, cost-efficient, ethical research that is achieving results today and not on something that may be little more than a pipe dream.

This viewpoint was published in The Marquette Tribune on October 11, 2005.