Over on NPR, Congressman Dan Lundgren is allowed, in an unchallenged piece of commentary, a few minutes of complete doublespeak on the stem cell debate, in which he claims that embryonic stem cell research (in addition to being a mortal sin, natch) would result in tumors and other side effects straight out of X-Men.
Despite Rep. Lundgren’s intimations to the contrary, tumor growth is a problem bedeviling adult stem cell researchers, too. This shouldn’t be surprising—with either adult or embryonic stem cells, scientists are dealing with, and manipulating, cell growth and death and division. All very complicated stuff, which is why a lot of research is key.
But I’d pay attention to this “tumor” meme. It has the feeling of “mobile weapons labs” to me.
