President Obama Reverses Bush's Stem Cell Research Ban

By U.S. News Staff

March 9, 2009 RSS Feed Print

By Kenneth R. Bazinet
Daily News Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON – President Obama reversed a Bush administration order and vowed Monday to "vigorously support" stem cell research that scientists hope will lead to cures for deadly ailments like diabetes and Parkinson's disease.

"We will bring the change that so many scientists and researchers, doctors and innovators, patients and loved ones have hoped for and fought for these past eight years. We will lift the ban on federal funding for promising embryonic stem cell research," Obama said to cheers at the White House.

Fulfilling a campaign pledge, Obama signed an executive order ending President Bush’s ban on federal funding for embryonic stem cell research.

"At this moment the full promise of stem cell research remains unknown, and it should not be overstated. But scientist believe these tiny cells may have the potential to help us understand and possibly cure some of our most devastating diseases and conditions," Obama told scientists and supporters.

Pro-life advocates oppose the research because it involves the use of human embryos, and they fear it could ultimately lead to human cloning. They, along with Bush, instead support the study of pluripotent stem cells, which does not use or destroy human embryos.

 "There are exciting and numerous advances with adult stem cell research, including peer-reviewed successful human patient treatments for conditions including type-1 diabetes, spinal cord injury and Parkinson’s disease,” said Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kan.), who opposes embryonic stem cell research. "It only makes sense to think of the patients first and focus federal dollars in these more promising areas, which do not cause serious moral concerns for many Americans."

Tags:
Obama administration,
stem cells,
Barack Obama,
science,
research

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Playattack of 7:47PM December 07, 2009

The aforementioned poster is an idiot. I suggest that whomever posted prior to me should look up the valubales uses human embryonic stem cells can amount to.

Ezra of MO 12:06AM July 21, 2009

Adult stem cells are found in most tissues, as well as in umbilical cord blood. These cells are multipotent, in that they are able to give rise to closely related cells within the same tissue. The function of these cells is tissue maintenance, regeneration, and repair. Examples of adult stem cells are skin precursor cells, hematopoietic bone marrow cells, mesenchymal stem cells, and neural stem cells. The use of mutipotent stem cells from a person’s own body (autologous) does not require immunosuppressive therapy, which is a great advantage of these types of stem cells. The cells are a perfect immunological match: the person’s unique surface proteins allow these cells to be accepted by the immune system without any host versus graft reaction. There is therefore no need for the cannibalistic and unethical use of tiny human beings (embryos) to furnish stem cells for biomedical research and treatments.

Simkah of NC 5:32PM April 17, 2009

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