Oklahoma Funds Science and Stem Cell Ethics

The Oklahoma Legislature having voted unanimously to outlaw all human cloning—still no word on what the governor will do with the bill—state bureaucrats are now putting $5.5 million into adult stem cell research over the next five years. From the story:

The Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust board voted Monday to contribute $5.5 million to adult stem cell research. The board committed $500,000 for a yearlong planning phase to decide how the money should be distributed, followed by $1 million in grants each year for five years.

The action was taken after presentations on adult stem cell research under way in Oklahoma. Adult stem cells could someday be used as “regenerative medicine” to treat or cure many ailments such as cancer, cardiovascular disease and diabetes, said Dr. Stephen Prescott, president of the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation.

He said Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation scientists are working to “back up” progression of adult cells so they return to a state where they can be reprogrammed for specific uses. Patients could be treated with their own cells to avoid rejection

That’s smart. Not too much money, no debt incurred—as we have here in the California Titanic—and proper ethics. Now, that makes good governance sense.