WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- Lately when Palm Beach County Commissioner Burt Aaronson speaks to a crowd, he starts with a series of questions.

"Who knows someone with Alzheimer's, diabetes, a spinal cord injury, Parkinson's or heart problems?" he asks. "And who wants their tax dollars to search for the most promising cures?"

Both questions typically bring everyone in the room into agreement.

But then it gets murky. Aaronson talks about the medical potential of stem cells from embryos and the need to use public money to explore the possibilities.

Florida voters might be able to address those difficult topics next year if Aaronson and other lawmakers succeed in putting a proposed constitutional amendment on the ballot. The amendment would allow public funds to be used for research on embryonic stem cells.

Lawmakers are anchoring the stem cell debate with the arrival of the prestigious Scripps Research Institute and the $800 million of public money promised to the biotech venture.

"What better place to ask for stem cell research than the state of Florida, especially since we're bringing Scripps here and other research companies? Why tie their hands behind their back, or certainly tie one hand behind their back?" Aaronson said.

Embryonic stem cells are formed in the early days after conception and can turn into any tissue in the body. Many scientists hope to one day harness them to grow replacement tissue to treat diabetes, spinal cord injuries and other diseases.

The Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla does not use embryonic stem cells and has no plans for the research at its new Palm Beach County campus.

But the institute works with mouse stem cells and human adult stem cells, particularly for its research on macular degeneration, a disorder that causes vision loss.

"We're not using embryonic stem cells, but we never say never," Scripps spokesman Keith McKeown said. "Obviously if science were to go in that direction, we could rethink that."

Prominent social conservatives, including President Bush, Gov. Jeb Bush and the Roman Catholic Church, oppose research using human embryonic stem cells because it requires the destruction of days-old embryos.

Gov. Bush likens it to "taking a human life to save life."

His older brother, the president, banned federal funding in 2001 for stem cell research, except for already existing cell lines. Last week, President Bush reaffirmed his opposition to any legislation that would expand funding for stem cell research that involves the destruction of human embryos.

But four states and some private groups are paying for new research.

In California, voters led the effort last year by overwhelmingly approving a $3 billion bond initiative to create an institute that would give $300 million yearly grants for stem cell research. Connecticut, Illinois and New Jersey also provide state money for stem cell research.

Supporters of the stem cell initiative said they don't want Florida to be left behind in its attempts to create a new biotech hub.

"We want to make sure that stem cell research as one of many types of research is available to our research institutions," said state Sen. Ron Klein, D-Boca Raton.

Another Florida lawmaker, Rep. Franklin Sands, says he plans to file a bill that would allow the use of embryonic stem cells produced by in-vitro fertilization that aren't implanted and would otherwise be discarded or destroyed. The measure would also provide state money for studies involving the embryonic cells. Sands, a Broward County Democrat, will likely meet strong opposition from Republicans, including the governor.

Gov. Bush and others who oppose stem cell research have set aside money for other cutting-edge research that they believe will make Florida competitive in the biotech field.

Before the Scripps deal, the Legislature gave $30 million to enhance research programs at three state universities, including Florida Atlantic University.

FAU's Center of Excellence in Biomedical and Marine Biotechnology searches for cures and medicines found in the sea. One project focuses an anti-inflammatory chemical produced by a coral. Scientists are taking small clippings of the coral, extracting its DNA and cloning it so they can produce the chemical. The process is a less expensive and more sustainable alternative to harvesting the corals from the sea, said Russell Kerr, the center's director and a professor of chemistry and biochemistry.

Two startup companies have already come out of the FAU Center of Excellence. Tequesta Marine Biosciences is working to create therapeutic drugs based on Kerr's research for the millions who suffer from inflammatory diseases. It was followed by Custom Synthesis Inc., which is focusing on creating chemical compounds for biotech and pharmaceutical researchers.

The anticipated biotech boom in Florida is particularly meaningful to those with a loved one suffering from a disease or disorder that could be cured or treated through the research. But some believe all possibilities, including research on stem cells, should be explored.

"The rest of the world is coming along faster than we are," said Kara Clapp, who's dad has been living with Parkinson's disease for 23 years. She noted developments in South Korea, where a researcher announced in May that he created the world's first embryonic stem cells that genetically match injured or sick patients. The research is a major step in the quest to grow patients' own replacement tissue to treat diseases.

Clapp said she hopes to help collect the 611,000 signatures needed to get the stem cell initiative on the September 2006 ballot.

Floridians for Stem Cell Research and Cures, the group started by Aaronson, plans to raise $1.5 million for the effort. It faces a Feb. 1 deadline to get the 75-word proposed amendment before the Florida attorney general and Supreme Court.

"It's the key to the future of our scientific discovery of cures and therapies," Klein said. "And to the extent we can encourage that type of research in Florida, it's only to the benefit of our residents and our economic development."

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FAU Center of Excellence | Scripps Research Institute