A New Day for Stem Cell Research

Last week, President Obama addressed the country with a new policy on stem cell research, which allows scientists much freer access to embryonic stem cells in particular and reverses the tight restrictions set by the Bush administration in 2001. The president’s plan offers many potential benefits and greatly enables scientists to conduct their research more thoroughly and effectively. They will now be able to study among thousands of embryonic stem cell samples, instead of the mere 21 lines allowed previously. These 21 lines were not ethnically or genetically diverse and therefore far from ideal for accurate research. Studying from a diverse and unrestricted sample size will help scientists better understand how to treat heart disease, diabetes, and Alzheimer’s, as well as spinal cord injuries and many other serious health conditions.

Obama’s lifting of the previous administration’s restrictions also means that it will no longer be illegal for scientists in the private sector to share facilities, equipment and findings with their government-funded colleagues. This will make the research process much more conducive to real medical breakthroughs. And that’s what this change of executive position is really about – facilitating the uninhibited flow of knowledge. It is this open exchange of study and ideas that has brought us medical advancements like our modern fertility treatments and cures for countless life-threatening diseases.

Of course, there is still a great deal of controversy over the use of embryonic stem cells in scientific study. Adult stem cells can also be used for valuable research, but it is the cells from embryos that have the ability to develop into any kind of cell in the body. This is what makes them special, but it is also their potential to start a new life that stirs so much debate. However, the vast majority of these embryonic stem cells come from IVF clinics and may have been discarded anyway. So why not use them for potentially life saving research instead? What do you think?

Here’s a Newsweek article on the subject which includes an interview with Amy Comstock Rick, CEO of the Parkinson's Action Network and president of the Coalition for the Advancement of Medical Research (CAMR), a group formed in 2001 to advocate for embryonic stem-cell research.

http://www.newsweek.com/id/188454/page/1