The Government Has Not Funded Stem Cell Research

Just recently, in March of 2009, President Obama lifted the Federal ban on the funding stating: “At this moment, the full promise of stem cell research remains unknown and it should not be overstated. But scientists believe these tiny cells may have the potential to help us understand, and possibly cure, some of our most devastating diseases and conditions.” Obama believes, like many others, that this type of research, though ethically triggering, can improve the survival rate of some diseases and in turn improve the live span of many worldwide. “Medical miracles do not happen simply by accident. They result from painstaking and costly research, from years of lonely trial and error, much of which never bears fruit, and from a government willing to support that work.” Obama also understand that research like this can take years to produce a positive and worthwhile result, but in order to produce such a result, support is needed by both the government and the people. He understands the costs, but believes that the benefits outweigh them. (“Obama on lifting…”)

The President’s Council on Bioethics published “Monitoring Stem Cell Research” in 2004. This report was written in response to President Bush’s comments regarding research of human stem cells on August 9, 2001. President Bush announced that he was going to make federal funding available for research that involved existing lines of stem cells that came from embryos. He is the first president to provide any type of financial support for the research of human stem cells. A Council was created with people who are educated in the field of stem cells to help monitor the research and to recommend guidelines and consider the ethical consequences that this research could create. This report is an “update” given

is a stem cell? Well basically they are cells in the human body that exist in a sort of neutral

Do No Harm: The Coalition of Americans for Research Ethics takes a very firm stand against the use of federal funding to aid in embryonic stem cell research. This coalition was founded by 8 extensively educated medical professionals, with the majority of them having specialized backgrounds in ethics or bioethics. The basis of their stance on the argument lies with the legally recognized practice of informed consent that requires a physician to do no harm to a patient. Their argument is that embryonic stem cell research that requires the destruction of a human embryo for the greater good of medicine legally, morally, and ethically defies the informed consent practice.

First of all an understanding of what a stem cell is, where it comes from, and the significance of it's medical potential is essential. Stem cells are the "master cells" that form the human body or whatever other animal it is from. Stem cells can be extracted from adult tissues, bone marrow, umbilical cord blood ( ), and embryos in the blastocyst stage. Although scientists have found ways to manipulate the stem cells from adult sources into other types of cells, they claim that they are less capable of deriving the desired tissue and are not "biologically equivalent" ( ) to stem cells extracted from embryos.

Imagine living in a world without cancer, Parkinson 's, or even diabetes. While everyone may wish this is true, people are against a way that researchers can make this possible, which would be by the use of stem cells. There is major controversy on whether or not stem cell research should be allowed, especially when it comes to embryonic stem cell research. Although many consider it to be killing a potential life form, embryonic stem cell research may eventually be acceptable to use because there is consent and a lengthy process to make sure the donor understands what their embryonic stem cells will be used for. That may be viewed as a much better

Stem cells get their name from the fact that they are basic cells that other cells develop from. They are capable of developing into a wide range of cells. Stem cells could potentially be used to grow new cells to replace the cells that were destroyed or damaged by

While embryonic stem cell research has been ongoing for more than 30 years, it has only become a controversial topic over the past decade. The embryonic stem cell was first isolated in 1981 by two scientists at the University of Cambridge. However, it wasn’t until 1998 at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, where the first batch of embryonic stem cells were created in a test tube. In 2001, President George W. Bush approved the use of federal funding for research on this topic, following this action the stem cell controversy has been developing. The controversy around this topic focuses heavily on the ethical portion of stem cell research rather than the scientific evidence. Stem cell research has shown great promise for potentially

The embryos that are not implanted basically waste away and are of no use. Advocates of stem cell research argue that these embryos should be used to help people. The opposing side continues to argue that using embryos is unethical. According to the National Academy of Sciences, researchers hope that “harnessing the capabilities of stem cells could then help repair damaged and diseased organs or provide alternatives to organ transplants. Stem cell therapy could offer hope for the millions who suffer from spinal-cord injuries, cardiovascular disease, autoimmune disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and other disorders.”13 Keeping this information in mind, it would be difficult for many people to be against this research. As a result, a Harris poll was conducted and found that 73% of Americans support the research, and there is a majority support among Republicans. The opposing side of the poll believes the research is immoral fell from 32% to 15% over only three years.14 As public opinion becomes more and more overwhelmingly positive, the demand for this research also

One of the biggest problems that biomedical scientists struggle with today is finding a cure to cancer. Thousands of scientists across the world devote their time and resources to solving this puzzle and saving thousands of lives. Over the last few decades, technology and medicine has advanced significantly increasing the life expectancy of the average human life. However, further steps need to be taken to achieve what doctors and scientists have set out to accomplish. In order to do this, many believe that embryonic stem cell research could be the key to unlocking a variety of medical problems. However, in the early 2000’s, the United States saw a significant decrease in federal funding available for this research. This could set back the medical advances by years if researchers could not continue their work. A decrease in restrictions while increasing federal funding for embryonic stem cell research is vital for taking steps forward in ethically finding cures for many injuries and diseases that affect millions of people every day.

The first topic is whether or not the research is carried out ethically. According to this article, researchers are required to comply with extremely strict regulations that have been set up in accordance with national and international standards. The next issue brought up is where the embryos come from. All embryos used come from embryos created from in vitro fertilization. All embryos used would have otherwise been destroyed and thrown out. These embryos are freely given and must have explicit consent from the donor. Embryos never come from aborted fetuses. One downside to this form of research is that embryos used are almost always destroyed in the process. However, all of the embryos would have been destroyed either way. Another misconception is that adult stem cells are just as useful as embryonic stem cells. This is not true. While adult stem cells can be useful, they are not nearly as useful as embryonic stem cells. The main difference is that embryonic stem cells have a special ability to grow into any type of cell such as a neuron, heart cell, or bone cell. Adult stem cells do not possess this ability. Heart stem cells can only turn into heart cells. Another worry is that embryonic stem cell research will lead to human cloning, however, The National Academy of Sciences and The International Society for Stem Cell Research have both banned human

In 2001, George W. Bush outlawed federal funding for human embryonic stem cell research (Thompson). Without proper funding for the research the scientists were restricted by their funds to finding the cures they’ve dedicated their life to. Since the the government stopped funding the research the progress essentially halted however, in 2009 things changed. In a landmark decision, President Obama lifted the ban on the funding of stem cell research with the signing of an executive order on March 9th. According to President Obama in his

Adult stem cells can not become all tissues of the human body, but embryonic stem cells can turn into any type of tissue. Using adult stem cells and tissue taken from a patient means that the cells are unlikely to be rejected by the immune system. Not enough trials have been done to see if doing embryo tissue transplants would cause rejection. Embryonic stem cells can grow easily in a lab, but adult stem cells are not as simple to grow after being taken from adult tissues. Stem cell replacement therapy require a large number of cells, in growing large numbers of adult cells means that the use of therapy is

Stem cells are cells that have the capability to become any cell. These cells can be vital in saving the lives of those who have cancer and other diseases. Additionally,

     In modern medicine today there are remedies for many diseases and sicknesses. For those unfortunate few with rare diseases, cancer, or a genetic mutation, we don’t have a resolution or cure. The race to find these cures is going on right now. Many think the solution can be found in the tiny embryonic stem cells. Most of the people who believe that the embryonic stem cell is the solution also believe that the federal government should help fund the research. The use of embryonic stem cells is not the only “solution to be” for these rare cases. Adult stem cell research is another means of finding the solution to the rare diseases, cancers, and other such sicknesses. Adult stem cell research is the most moral and