What drives the push for embryonic stem-cell research, especially when adult stem cells show so much more promise? One word: MONEY!! As the St. Paul Pioneer-Press headline put it: "Embryonic stem cells help patents, not patients."
Chuck Colson in his Breakpoint commentary, "Following the Money: Embryonic Stem Cells and Big Bucks" refers to Jean Swenson's observation that what drives the push for embryonic stem-cell research is that it
"provides greater research and patent potentials for scientists, research institutions, and biotech industry." In other words, it's potentially far more lucrative than research involving adult stem cells. . .
A 1980 federal law allows scientists to “patent the results of publicly funded research.” They can “form biotech companies to develop patents” or “sell their patents to biotech or pharmaceutical firms.” In either case, they have a substantial financial incentive to depict embryonic stem-cell research in the most positive way possible.
That explains it! That explains why adult-stem research and its amazing breakthroughs get minimal press coverage. "Follow the money" proves once again to be an indispensable maxim towards a deeper grasp of what's going on.