Public prefers publicly-funded stem cell research

A survey on the public perception of stem cell research suggests that how research is funded and who conducts it are more important to individuals than religious beliefs.

The survey, conducted by Dr Christine Critchley and Dr Lyn Turney at the Australian Centre for Emerging Technologies and Society at Swinburne University in Melbourne, involved telephone interviews with 1013 Australians plus five focus groups that examined the attitudes of individuals more deeply.

Those surveyed were asked about research on adult stem cells, embryonic stem cells and cloned cells. Sixty-six per cent of people supported adult stem cell research and 54 per cent supported embryonic stem cell research, as long as it was conducted by publicly funded research institutes. In contrast, only 38 per cent of those surveyed supported research involving cloned human cells.

When asked about private and publicly funded research on stem cells, only 36 per cent of individuals supported privately funded research, compared to 66 per cent support for public research.

"The assumption has been that people oppose stem cell research because of religious, or moral and ethical reasons," said Critchley. "Religious beliefs are relevant, but our data suggest that who is funding the research is more relevant."

The reasons given for not trusting privately funded research were profit motives underlying why research was being done, and concerns about being able to afford to access the benefits of the research.

"I had wondered whether the general public were aware of the implications of privatising science," Critchley said. "These results suggest that they are."