I think we can all agree that our taxes should be spent on what works.
Figures from the Medical Research Council this week show that the evidence, political will and the money are all now pointing in the same direction - to induced pluripotent cells and adult stem cells (over 80 successful therapeutic applications so far) as revealing the most potential for healing. Prior to this, evidence was not allowed to get in the way of political will as the money went to hyped-up hybrids and human embryos (no applications so far).
David Jones in the Guardian today says 'The grandiose claims for cures from animal-human hybrids were never credible and now they can be seen to be empty promises. It can no longer be pretended that this avenue of research is "necessary".
And how long before we stop wasting money on tumorgenic human embryonic stem cells? It cost us 10 key scientists last year as they moved from the UK to France where adult stem cell research is better supported. So not only have we wasted money but we have lost vital talent. Bush was right not to give federal funds to this research - Obama's promise to reverse this in the light of hard facts is a triumph of liberalism over evidence.
