Signatures gathered for unproven embryonic stem cell research, Michigan State Medical Society changes research position

Maybe you've seen them outside your local supermarket or secretary of state office; individuals circulating "stem cell" petitions to have Michigan's Constitution changed. The proposed change would allow the killing of human embryos in Michigan for research purposes. In an effort to get you to sign, those collecting signatures might have promised just-around-the-corner cures to everything from diabetes to Parkinson's to spinal-cord injuries. They may have even falsely claimed embryonic stem cells treated a young woman with a spinal cord injury when she was actually treated with adult stem cells.

They probably would have said anything to get you to sign because they're being paid (up to $4 per signature) to collect signatures. If 380,126 valid signatures are collected by July 7, Michigan voters will decide whether to radically change the constitution to allow lethal research on human embryos. Research on embryonic stem cells is already legal in Michigan. If enough signatures are gathered, it has been estimated the Stem Cell Research Ballot Question Committee will spend at least $20 million on advertisements to convince Michigan voters to vote in favor of their proposal.

While proponents of killing human embryos for research are spending millions to pay petition circulators who'll do whatever they can to gather signatures, advances in life-affirming forms of non-embryonic stem cell research continue their steady advance. Shouldn't money be spent on research which is finding cures for people now and not a promise for cures in maybe a decade or two?

A young boy in Minnesota who suffered from a deadly genetic skin condition has been labeled "cured" seven months after he received a stem cell transplant from his brother. A young man from Texas who was in danger of having his limbs amputated because of bacterial meningitis was successfully treated with his own adult stem cells.

Aware of these advances in life-affirming adult stem cell research and wary of the ethical and scientific problems which plague embryonic stem cell research, the Michigan State Medical Society voted in May of 2008 to change their position on embryonic stem cell research from a position which favored the research to their now neutral position.

For more updates on stem cell research, make sure to visit www.stemcellresearchcures.com while you're online. It's the one stop shop for information on stem cell research in Michigan.

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