Fox Pitches Stem Cell Alzheimer’s Deception

Michael J Fox For Ben Cardin

More deception from Michael J. Fox. In this ad, he claims that “stem cell research” “offers hope” for Alzheimer’s. But it is well known that of all of the degenerative conditions that either adult or embryonic stem cells could theoretically treat, people with Alzheimer’s are among the least likely to benefit. Indeed, one notable biotech researcher told the Washington Post that the biotech sector permits Alzheimer’s patients and their families to believe false assertions such as Fox’s because “people need a fairy tale.”

There are concrete reasons for hope for Alzheimer’s disease patients in other areas of medical research. But embryonic stem cell research and human cloning are highly unlikely to provide it, since unlike Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s is a whole brain disease with billions of neurons, synapses, etc. affected, making the disease unlikely to respond to ES cell therapies.

I assume Fox is ignorant of this, but it is no excuse. His ad is deceptive and cruelly exploits the hopes and yearnings of Alzheimer’s victims and their families.