When asked by NBC's Maria Menounos, whether the ability to reprogram ordinary cells to mimic those of embyronic stem cells changed his view on the issue, Fox refused to abandon the practice of embryo destruction as he warned: "At the same time too we don't want to discontinue the embryonic stem cell research that's being done because one begat the other and, and it all becomes part of a broad canvas that we want to continue to work on."
The following is the full segment as it aired on the December 3, edition of "Today":
MEREDITH VIEIRA: With an engaging personality and enormous star power Michael J. Fox has emerged as the leader in the fight against Parkinson's Disease. Recently our West Coast contributor Maria Menenous caught up with Fox at his foundation's annual fundraiser to talk about his life and the latest discovery in stem cell research.
MARIA MENOUNOS: Scientists have now found a way to reprogram ordinary cells-
MICHAEL J. FOX: Right
MENOUNOS: -to mimic the same actions of, of an embryonic stem cell.
FOX: Embryonic stem cell, yeah.
MENOUNOS: Tell me what that does to Parkinson's and how exciting that was for you?
FOX: Well any of these breakthroughs are fantastic. And it's just thrilling. And at the same time too we don't want to discontinue the embryonic stem cell research that's being done because one begat the other and, and it all becomes part of a broad canvas that we want to continue to work on.
FOX: Well I want to make sure that we, that, that doesn't happen. But I think that the bottom line is whatever happens in the next election, the chances are very good that there's gonna be a new attitude towards science.
MENOUNOS: Does stem cell research affect who you're backing in the election this year?
FOX: Well just about everybody's in favor of it with the couple of exceptions on the, on the Republican side. But, but what I did in the last election in the midterm was not about parties but, but about who was in a race where they supported stem cell research and, and were, were opposed by someone who's not in favor of stem cell research.
MENOUNOS: Who are you backing this election?
FOX: Whoever the most pro-science candidate is that comes out of either primary.
MENOUNOS: What would be the one thing that would surprise people about your life?
FOX: Well I, I think that people focus on the fact that I have this condition might be surprised at how happy I am, how productive I am and how much enthusiasm I have for life. I mean it happened to be that, that it created an opportunity for me to do things that I might not have otherwise had done. And, and gave me a way to put the rest of my life in relief. So I, I say, yeah, this is a drag to have this. But put it against everything else and it's like a, it's like a pin in a haystack. I mean I have so many blessing and so much good stuff in my life that, that I just, I have an idiot grin on my face all the time.
VIEIRA: He is a great guy. You can see more of Maria's interview tonight on Access Hollywood.
