Home / News & Publications / Michigan Catholic News / 2009 / County, WSU partner in stem-cell venture
County, WSU partner in stem-cell venture
by Robert Delaney of The Michigan Catholic
Published February 20, 2009
Detroit — That Wayne County and Wayne State University would be joining forces in an embryonic stem-cell research effort is no surprise, said a spokesman for the Michigan Catholic Conference. “Wayne State was a big supporter of Proposal 2,” said David Maluchnik of the MCC, referring to last November’s successful ballot initiative to remove any legal limits on embryonic stem-cell research.
And Wayne County’s involvement helps to illustrate what MiCAUSE – the anti-Proposal 2 coalition – said would happen if the ballot measure passed, he continued.
MiCAUSE drew harsh criticism from some newspaper editorialists and the proposal’s supporters during the campaign for its claims that Proposal 2 would wind up costing taxpayers money.
County Executive Robert Ficano announced in his Feb. 12 State of the County speech that the county would be partnering with the WSU-sponsored TechTown to create a Wayne County Stem-Cell Commercialization Center.
“Embryonic stem cells provide a valuable means to eventually create treatments for many diseases that cannot be treated today. The recent passage of state legislation has paved the way for this research,” he continued.
Ficano said the center would be the first of its kind in Michigan. “We are creating a new biotechnologh industry that will attract new companies, new jobs and alliances with researchers around the world,” he added.
TechTown is an economic development initiative designed to bring together entrepreneurs and investors with the resources of WSU to foster high-tech startup companies in the area north of the university’s main campus in Detroit.
The MCC, which functions as the public policy voice of all seven Catholic dioceses in Michigan, was part of the coalition that backed MiCAUSE in opposition to Proposal 2.
The Church opposes embryonic stem-cell research because it involves the destruction of human life, but does not oppose research involving other forms of stem cells.
While extravagant claims are often made for the potential of embryonic stem-cell research to yield cures for various diseases, the only actual cures to date have resulted from research using non-embryonic stem cells. Maluchnik said the involvement of government financial support for the controversial use of embryonic stem cells is ironic in view of the failure of legislative efforts last year to provide incentives for “ethical and proven stem-cell research.”
He said the Legislature passed legislation providing tax credits for donated umbilical cord blood – a source of stem cells that does not involve taking a human life, but it was vetoed by Gov. Jennifer Granholm, who cited budget reasons.
Another package of bills that would have supported the use of induced pluripotent stem cells – another form of non-embryonic stem cells – made it through the committee process in the state House of Representatives, but were never brought to a vote.
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