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Debate over government funding of stem cell research
The controversy surrounding the issue of governmental funding of embryonic stem cell research
Evolution of stem cell research
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Stem cell research is an ever-evolving area of modern policy. Many bills have been proposed and some have been passed in this area. Stem cells are pluripotent, meaning they can be converted into other. These cells have the potential to treat and cure many illnesses for which this is not yet an option. Most of the controversy over stem cell research involves moral opposition. 1998 marked the first removal of a human embryonic stem cell. Until recently these cells could only be obtained through human embryos. This dovetails with the controversy over abortion ("The Stem Cell Debate"). Most pro-life supporters do not support stem cell research, however with new medical strides being taken, there is more public support for the policy than there had been previously. Although it was not always flourishing, stem cell research is currently advancing through bipartisanship, interest groups, and presidential leadership.
Prior to 2009 the policy’s strength was limited due to presidential leadership and bureaucratic cooperation, as well as divided government. The policy continued its success, however, at a much slower rate than it is currently succeeding. In 2001, president George W. Bush announced that “the federal funding of any research using stem cell lines derived after August 9, 2001” were to be prohibited ("Timeline of Major Events"). This federal policy only applied to government organizations, not private or state organizations. However, because most of the funding for stem cell research was through federal grants and NIH, this was a major setback. In 2005, the democratic congress passed the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2005, which was intended to require that the Secretary of Health and Human Services conduct...
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...se.gov. Web. 23 May 2014. .
"Research!America's Policy Position." ResearchAmerica.org. Research!America, n.d. Web. 25 May 2014. .
"The Stem Cell Debate: Is It Over?" Learn.Genetics. U of Utah Health Sciences, n.d. Web. 22 May 2014. .
"Stem Cell Therapeutic and Research Act of 2005." Congress.gov. Lib. of Cong., n.d. Web. 16 May 2014. .
"Timeline of Major Events in Stem Cell Research Policy." Research America. Research!America, n.d. Web. 16 May 2014. .
When the issue of stem cell research was under scrutiny pro-life advocates exposed experiments from the late 60's and early 70's that had a profoundly "grotesque" quality (Maynard-Moody 15). For example in one experiment several fetuses had their heads removed and scientists observed the effects of starvation of the brain. These revelations gained the pro-life advocates a lot of support and mad the topic of fetal tissue research very "controversial". The controversy was revived when President Bill Clinton took office and "rescinded" President Bush's ban on fetal tissue stem cell research. Before Clinton all presidents. Were pro-life and many took measures to restrict or stop stem cell research (Steinbock 170-71).
The Nobel laureates' inaccurate letter to President Bush urging him to feed federal funds to human-embryo stem-cell research has had PR value in the media. It perpetuates a number of misconceptions and misleading statements regarding stem-cell research, particularly embryonic as opposed to adult stem-cell research, and will serve to continue to cloud the issue. Some of these deceptive statements are the subject of this essay.
" An Overview of Stem Cell Research | The Center for Bioethics & Human Dignity."
Stem cell research is a heavily debated topic that can stir trouble in even the tightest of Thanksgiving tables. The use cells found in the cells of embryos to replicate dead or dying cells is a truly baffling thought. To many, stem cell research has the potential to be Holy Grail of modern medicine. To many others, it is ultimately an unethical concept regardless of its capabilities. Due to how divided people are on the topic of stem cell research, its legality and acceptance are different everywhere. According to Utilitarianism, stem cell research should be permitted due to the amount of people it can save, however according to the Divine Command of Christianity, the means of collecting said stem cells are immoral and forbidden.
Currently, the limitations on research are too restricting, as researchers are limited to resources already gathered. There are sixty existing stem cell lines today, already derived from embryos. Researchers are to only use these lines. These limitations severely hinder stem cell research. The government, especially President Bush, should re-evaluate stem cell research.
Webb, S. (2009). Stem cell research is suffering due to the lack of federal funding. In A.
Reaves, J. (2001, July 11). The great debate over stem cell research. Time, Retrieved from http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,167245,00.html
This report does a fairly comprehensive job on educating the public to the definition of stem cells, describing them as “a diverse group of remarkable multipotent cells that are relatively undifferentiated and unspecialized cells of the body.” Stem cells have the capacity for unlimited self-renewal and the possibility to produce differentiated descendant cell types. The main in...
A stem cell is a cell in the body that can differentiate into almost any other type of cell in the body. Stem cells come from sites in the bone marrow, as well as the tissues of developing fetuses. The most controversial issue in stem cell therapy is the use of fetuses for their stem cells. Scientists want to clone human embryos, and use the stem cells long before the embryo matures (when it is only about 36 cells). This causes a large amount of unease in society, because people fear that stem cells and therapeutic cloning will lead us into disgusting and horrible experimental practices, as well as therapies. Most people in America do not want this horrible vision of the future to come true, so they want all stem cell technology and research banned.
In the 2004 presidential election, one of the most controversial issues facing voters was the battle over embryonic stem cell research. In the weeks leading up to the election, polls were indicating that 47 percent of Bush supporters agreed that the destruction of embryo cells is unethical; however, 53 percent of Bush voters supported stem cell research. The overwhelming majority of Kerry backers also supported stem cell research, indicating that the majority of American voters support stem cell research. Embryonic stem cell research, while still in its infancy, has the potential to treat or perhaps even cure more than 100 million people suffering from a variety of illnesses and conditions. Scientists agree that stem cells could be one of the greatest revolutions in modern medicine. On the opposing side of the issue, many citizens believe that destroying an embryo is the equivalent to killing an unborn child. While many people assume the battle is about the use of stem cells for research purposes, it now seems that the major political controversy is the role of the federal government in funding human embryo research. Many scientists contend that the furor began with President Bush's August 2001 decision to limit government funding to embryonic stem cell lines that had already been created. Since then, scientists have been scrambling to expand funding for stem cell research with few alternatives. The central question is, "Should private funding from companies, individuals, and foundations control the future economic, public health, and social benefits of stem cell research or should the federal government?" Allowing the federal government to fund and, thereby, control stem cell research ensures appropriate regulation and ...
Monroe, Kristen, et al., eds. Fundamentals of the Stem Cell Debate: The Scientific, Religious, Ethical and Political Issues. Los Angeles/Berkley: University of California Press, 2008. Print
This report aims to investigate the different views held on the pros and cons of development in stem cell research. This report will provide background to the debate, its social significance, parties that are involved and analysis of the arguments related to the topic researched.
Are embryonic stem cells the cure to many of the human body’s ailments, including defective organs and crippling diseases, or is their use a blatant disregard of human rights and the value of life? Thanks to the rapid advancements in this field, the potential benefits of stem cells are slowly becoming reality. However, embryonic stem cell research is an extremely divisive topic in the United States thanks to the ethical issues surrounding terminating embryos to harvest the stem cells. In response to this debate, Congress passed the Dickey-Wicker amendment in 1995 to prohibit federal funding of research that involved the destruction of embryos. President Bush affirmed this decision, but more recently President Obama lifted many of these restrictions. Despite the significant portion of Americans that do not support embryonic stem cell research, it should be federally funded because of the potential health benefits, the definition of human, and the opportunity to clearly define regulations for ethical research.
Hirsen, James L. “Who’s the Victor on the Stem Cell Debate?” 7 Aug. 2001. 24 Sept. 2007 < http://www.firstliberties.com/stem_cell_debate.html>.
Anderson, Ryan. "Stem Cells: A Political History." First Things. First Things, November, 2008. Web. 10 Feb 2012.