Senators Specter and Santorum Move to Fund “Alternative Methods” Stem Cell Research

Now this is interesting: Two senators, both from Pennsylvania and on opposite sides of the therapeutic cloning debate, have co-sponsored legislation to fund research into ways to obtain pluripotent stem cells without creating and destroying embryos. Research pursuing my friend Bill Hurlbut’s idea of altered nuclear transfer (ANT) would undoubtedly be one of the methods that would be funded. There are other ideas, too, all worthy of a good look to see if we can heal the ethical rift that divides us about human biotechnology.

Hopefully, a trend has started in this regard. First, unanimous agreement was achieved to fund a federal umbilical cord blood stem cell bank. And now, perhaps, the Feds will pay for research into “alternative methods,” as they are sometimes called. I wish the PA Senators success in their new joint venture.