The federal government should fund embryonic stem cell research.
Pros:
1. This stem cell research uses embryos that are discarded anyway. Using in vitro fertilization, only about 4/24 eggs taken from the woman who cannot get pregnant are used after they are fertilized with the husband’s or donor’s sperm and the rest are discarded or frozen, in which some die in the process of freezing or thawing. Donations come from the rest of these eggs instead of being discarded.
2. Another reason you can argue for federal funding for this is because for the most part what the federal government is worried about is funding research that will kill embryos. They ALREADY DO THIS.
IVF was used successfully for the first time in the United States in 1981. More than 250,000 babies have been born since then as a result of using the in vitro fertilization technique. IVF offers infertile couples a chance to have a child who is biologically related to them.
With IVF, a method of assisted reproduction, a man's sperm and the woman's egg are combined in a laboratory dish, where fertilization occurs. The resulting embryois then transferred to the woman's uterus (womb) to implant and develop naturally. Usually, 2-4 embryos are placed in the woman's uterus at one time. Each attempt is called a cycle.
States that mandate that insurance coverage for infertility treatments
The 15 include: Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Montana, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Rhode Island, Texas, and West Virginia.
3. Utilitarian argument: sacrifice some to save millions. The types of things stem-cell research is projected to help are significant, like cancer.
4. The benefits would outweigh the costs
Cons
1. You are killing a living thing, you can take the moral stance. Life begins at conception. When the other team argues that the eggs that are thrown away anyway through In Vito fertilization, you could say that you are against that as well, maybe that they shouldn’t be wasteful, or they should not do that at all.
2. It is really expensive. – For the argument that government should not fund this. Or you can argue that that money should be going to further stem cell research from adults.
3. Stem cells can be taken by adults instead
Timeline
Jul 12, 1974 National Commission for the Protection of Human Subjects of Biomedical and Behavioral Research
National Research Act establishes the National Commission for the Protection of Human Subjects of Biomedical and Behavioral Research within the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare to define policy for protection of human subjects during medical or scientific experiments.
Jul 12, 1974 Congress Bans All Federally Funded Fetal Tissue Research
The 93rd Congress implements a ban on almost all federally funded fetal tissue research until the National Commission for the Protection of Human Subjects of Biomedical and Behavioral Research devises guidelines for it.
1975 Ethics Advisory Board Established
Commission releases guidelines on federal funding of fetal and fetal tissue research. The guidelines establish an Ethics Advisory Board for fetal and fetal tissue research that originate from abortions.
1980 President Reagan Kills Ethics Advisory Board
President Ronald Reagan decides not to renew the Ethics Advisory Board’s charter. The EAB had recommended federally funded investigations into the safety of in vitro fertilizations using human embryos developed in vitro for no more than 14 days, but a de facto moratorium halts federal funding of human embryo research due to the EAB’s disbanding.
1988 Federal Panel Approves Funding of Embryo Research
Human Fetal Tissue Transplantation Research Panel reopens the question and votes 18-3 to approve the federal funding of embryo research. Despite this level of support for the research, the Department of Health and Human Services accepts the testimony of three conservative dissenters who argue that embryo research would lead to an increase in abortions and in response extends the moratorium on this research.
1990 President George H. W. Bush Vetos Bill Lifting Moratorium
Congress attempts to override the moratorium through legislation but President George H.W. Bush vetoes the measure.
1993 President Clinton Executive Order Lifts Moratorium
HHS Secretary Donna Shalala lifts the moratorium on federal funding of human embryo research in accordance with President Bill Clinton’s executive order.
1994 President Clinton Reverses Order
A National Institutes of Health human embryo research panel supports the research but thousands of letters urge President Clinton to reverse his earlier decision. He agrees. Federal funding of embryo research is stopped.
1995 Dickey-Wicker Amendment
Congress bans the federal funding for research on embryos through the Dickey-Wicker Amendment, named after its sponsors Jay Dickey (R-AR) and Roger Wicker (R-MI). The amendment prohibits the use of federal funds for “the creation of a human embryo or embryos for research purposes; or research in which a human embryo or embryos are destroyed, discarded, or knowingly subjected to risk of injury or death greater than that allowed for research on fetuses in utero under 45 CFR 46.204(b) and section 498(b) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 289g (b)).” From: “Dickey-Wicker Amendment,”
1998 James Thomson Isolates Human Embryonic Stem Cells
University of Wisconsin scientist James Thomson isolates human embryonic stem cells and shows their remarkable potential to rejuvenate and to specialize into tissues. This exciting discovery also initiates the ethical debate on human embryonic stem cell research because his team derives the stem cells through a process that destroys human embryos.
1999 to 2000 NIH (National Institutes of Health) Guidelines and Bush Disapproval
The NIH develops guidelines for funding human embryonic stem cell research, but presidential candidate George W. Bush declares his opposition to the research in a campaign speech so NIH remains cautious about entertaining funding proposals until after the presidential election.
Jan 15, 1999 HHS Legal Opinion OKs Research on hESC Lines
NIH Director Harold Varmus receives a legal opinion from DHHS general council Harriet Rabb. Rabb finds that the Dickey-Wicker amendment does not apply to federal funding for research on embryonic stem cells because the cells do not meet the statutory definition of an embryo. The cells, however, would have to be derived with private funding.
Apr 1999 Harold Varmus Appoints Oversight Committee
Harold Varmus appoints an oversight committee to draft guidelines for federally funding embryonic stem cells. The committee includes scientists, clinicians, ethicists, lawyers, patients, and patient advocates.
Feb 2000 Influx of Responses on Proposed Guidelines
By this point, over 50,000 responses had been received on the committee's proposed guidelines.
Aug 25, 2000 NIH Guidelines for Research Go Into Effect
NIH Guidelines for Research Using Human Pluripotent Stem Cells are published are the Federal Register over the summer and go into effect on this day. They stipulate that: human embryonic stem cells must be derived with private funds from frozen embryos from fertility clinics; they must have been created for fertility treatment purposes; be in excess of the donor's clinical need; and obtained with the consent of the donor. These guidelines also outlawed the federal funding of stem cells derived from embryos created by SCNT, even if the derivation took place with private funds.
Apr 2001 Grant Application Review Postponed for Bush Admin
NIH is supposed to begin reviewing grant applications for human embryonic stem cell research, but postpones the review in order to give the Bush administration time to review HHS policies. Bush had declared his opposition to the research in his campaign speeches.
Aug 2001 President Bush Prohibits Federal Funding of Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research
President Bush prohibits the federal funding of any research using stem cell lines derived after August 9, 2001, but his policy does not affect research in the private sector or research conducted with state funding. 2 The president claims that more than 60 stem cell lines are available for funding. From: “President Discusses Stem Cell Research”
In September 2002, Governor Davis of California signed bill SB 253 into law. It is the first law in the U.S. that permits stem cell research. Davis simultaneously signed a bill that permanently bans all human cloning in the state for reproduction purposes -- i.e. any effort to create a cloned individual.
Jan 2004 President’s Council on Bioethics: "Monitoring Stem Cell Research"
The President’s Council on Bioethics, chaired by Leon Kass, publishes “Monitoring Stem Cell Research,” a report that contains “no proposed guidelines and regulations, nor indeed any specific recommendations for public policy.” But according to Kass, the overarching goal of the report is “to convey the moral and social importance of the issue at hand and to demonstrate how people of different backgrounds, ethical beliefs, and policy preferences can reason together about it.” From: “Monitoring Stem Cell Research,” and “Monitoring Stem Cell Research,”
Apr 26, 2005 National Academies Releases “Guidelines for Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research"
The National Academies releases its “Guidelines for Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research.” In the news release, committee co-chair Richard O. Hynes explains, “A standard set of requirements for deriving, storing, distributing, and using embryonic stem cell lines—one to which the entire U.S. scientific community adheres—is the best way for this research to move forward. ”From: “Guidelines for Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research and “Guidelines Released for Embryonic Stem Cell Research,”
May 2005 President’s Council on Bioethics: "Alternative Sources of Pluripotent Stem Cells"
The President’s Council on Bioethics releases a white paper titled “Alternative Sources of Pluripotent Stem Cells.”
From: “White Paper: Alternative Sources of Pluripotent Stem Cells,”
From: “White Paper: Alternative Sources of Pluripotent Stem Cells,”
Nov 16, 2006 President’s Council on Bioethics Updated on Alternative Sources of pluripotent Stem Cells
The President’s Council on Bioethics, now chaired by Edmund Pellegrino, is updated on stem cell research and alternative sources of pluripotent stem cells by Hans Robert Schöler, Ph.D. director of the Cell and Developmental Biology Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine. From: “Transcripts: Session 1: Stem Cell Research Update,” and “Transcripts: Session 2: Stem Cell Research Update and Alternative Sources of Pluripotent Stem Cells,”
Dec 21, 2006 ISSCR Guidelines
The International Society for Stem Cell Research releases its “Guidelines for the Conduct of Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research.” From: “Guidelines for the Conduct of Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research,”
Apr 30, 2007 New NAS Guidelines
The National Academies releases the 2007
amendments for its guidelines. From: “2007 Amendments to the National Academies’ Guidelines for Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research,”
amendments for its guidelines. From: “2007 Amendments to the National Academies’ Guidelines for Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research,”
Jun 20, 2007 President Bush Calls for Work on Alternate Sources
President Bush issues an executive order calling upon the HHS secretary to support and encourage research on alternative sources of pluripotent stem cells. He also requests that the Human Embryonic Stem Cell Registry be renamed the Human Pluripotent Stem Cell Registry. From: “Executive Order: Expanding Approved Stem Cell Lines in Ethically Responsible Ways,”
Nov 2007 Yamanaka and Thomson Independently Derive iPS Cells
Shinya Yamanaka of Kyoto University and James Thomson of the University of Wisconsin-Madison both publish papers on their separate discoveries of induced pluripotent stem cells. These pluripotent cells were created from skin cells that had four genes inserted into them with viruses. This procedure resulted in the skin cells acquiring properties similar to embryonic stem cells. Researchers were able to coax these so-called iPS cells into becoming beating heart cells and nerve cells.
May 2008 Report: Only 16 of 21 Lines Eligible for Federally Funding Were Ethically Derived
Robert Streiffer, a bioethicist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, publishes a paper detailing his investigation into the consent forms for the federally approved human embryonic stem cell lines. Although 21 lines were viable at the time, he discovers that no more than 16 are both viable and ethically derived.
Sep 5, 2008 NAS Release New Guidelines
The National Academies releases the 2008 amendments for its guidelines. From: “2008 Amendments to the National Academies’ Guidelines for Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research,”
Dec 3, 2008 ISSCR Releases Guidelines for Clinical Translation
The International Society for Stem Cell Research releases its new “Guidelines for the Clinical Translation of Stem Cells.” From: “Guidelines for the Clinical Translation of Stem Cells,”
Jan 20, 2009 New Administration Begins
Barack Obama is sworn in as the 44th president of the United States, having promised to change the current restrictions on human embryonic stem cell research.
Mar 2009 Influx of Responses on Proposed Guidelines
By this point, NIH had received over 50,000 responses on the committee's proposed guidelines.
Pros/Cons and background information
http://stemcellumbilicalcordbloodbanking.com/stem-cell-information/stem-cell-research-pros-and-cons/
http://www.experiment-resources.com/stem-cell-pros-and-cons.html - REALLY GOOD ARTICLE
What they are and alternatives
Information as of 2008 – states that allow embryonic stem cell research - REALLY GOOD ARTICLE
Obama
"In this case, I believe the two are not inconsistent. As a person of faith, I believe we are called to care for each other and work to ease human suffering. I believe we have been given the capacity and will to pursue this research -- and the humanity and conscience to do so responsibly."
The president pledged to develop "strict guidelines" to ensure that such research "never opens the door to the use of cloning for human reproduction."
Such a possibility, he maintained, is "dangerous, profoundly wrong and has no place in our society or any society."
Obama's order directs the NIH to develop revised guidelines on federal funding for embryonic stem cell research within 120 days, according to Dr. Harold Varmus, president of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and co-chairman of Obama's science advisory council.
Timeline
General Information
For example, adult stem cells can be used to replace blood-cell-forming cells killed during chemotherapy in bone marrow transplant patients. Biotech companies such as Revivicor and ACT are researching techniques for cellular reprogramming of adult cells, use of amniotic fluid, or stem cell extraction techniques that do not damage the embryo, that also provide alternatives for obtaining viable stem cell lines.
Out of necessity, the research on these alternatives is catching up with embryonic stem cell research and, with sufficient funding, other solutions might be found that are acceptable to everyone.
On March 9, 2009, President Obama overturned Bush’s ruling, allowing US Federal funding to go to embryonic stem cell research. However, the stipulation applies that normal NIH policies on data sharing must be followed. Despite the progress being made in other areas of stem cell research, using pluripotent cells from other sources, many American scientists were putting pressure on the government to allow their participation and compete with the Europeans. However, many people are still strongly opposed.
