This post is a tribute to Senate Republican Arlen Specter, a man who is crossing party lines to stand up for what he believes is right - namely, stem cell research.
Specter recently proposed the creation of a new agency known as the Cures Acceleration Network that will facilitate the development of new treatments for cancer, multiple sclerosis, diabetes, and other diseases by awarding grants to cash-starved biotech companies. <-- Investors, this is where you get excited.
"Without adequate funding, these companies will be unable to take these products to the development state, the basic research done by the NIH (National Institutes of Health) will be lost, and many patients will die waiting for drugs and devices to give them a better quality of life," Specter said.
The Senator from Pennsylvania has recently been at odds with some of his fellow Republicans after securing stimulus package money for the NIH. What his peers will soon learn, however, is that Specter's bold actions have put him in favor with many voters who support stem cell research and they will undoubtedly secure his re-election next year.
"I believe that we can live not only longer lives, but healthier lives, by harnessing and applying the genius of our biomedical research community and getting about the task of accelerating cures," said Specter, a two-time cancer survivor, in remarks prepared for a Chicago speech to physicians and researchers.
