Stem Cell Research
The Legal Argument and Analysis for Stem Cell Research
Stem cell research is a new field of research that brings many ethical issues and considerations in which U.S. regulations have been mostly hostile while around the world, the response toward the research has been positive. What is the legal culture in which the U.S. finds itself regarding stem cell research? What are the ethical considerations involving our participation in this new and infant field of science? What of other countries and their legal approach to stem cell research? This paper addresses these questions and presents the reader a case that stem cell research is a matter that should be scientifically pursued because of its potential and possibilities.
With any kind of science there are ethical considerations and much of the science is in its infancy in which hyped claims, fraud, and a lack of ethical frameworks can bring unwarranted risks to patients seeking radical and unproven treatments, skew public opinion against stem cell research and cause great harm to a potentially rewarding industry.
The Ethical Argument for Stem Cell Research
From the report Dr. Audrey Chapman, et. al. (1999) the findings and recommendations about stem cell research is as follows:
"Human stem cell research holds enormous potential for contributing to our understanding of fundamental human biology. Although it is not possible to predict the outcomes from basic research, such studies will offer real possibility for treatments and ultimately for cures for many diseases for which adequate therapies do not exist (pg. iv)."
The Position of the U.S. -- Brief History of Legislating Science
Stem cell research can trace its beginnings to fetal tissue discoveries and experimentation that began in the 1970's, but in 1974, Congress banned federal funding on fetal tissue research (Science Progress, 2009). In the 1970's, an ethics board was created to deal with the issue of fetal tissue research until President Ronald Reagan disbanded the board in 1980 (Science Progress, 2009). A moratorium on research is not lifted until President Clinton issues an executive order in 1993; however, because of public outcry, President Clinton rescinds the order in 1994 (Science Progress, 2009). Actual embryonic stem cells was isolated by James Thomson in 1998 and the race was on to make discoveries regarding this new direction of science; however the opposition by the Bush Administration remained in effect that federal funds could not be used to conduct stem cell research until the ban was lifted by President Barack Obama in 2009 (Science Progress, 2009). Over time there has been tweaks and establish of bioethical committees regarding the private funding and research of stem cells, but overall, from the 1970's until 2009, stem cell research received little attention and much opposition from the government (Science Progress, 2009). President George W. Bush, in 2007 attempted to divert embryonic stem cell research by an executive order for agencies to look for alternative means (Executive Order 13435, pg. 34591-92).
Currently, U.S. regulations is that the ban on federally funded stem cell research has been lifted by President Obama in 2009 through Executive Order 13505. This order allows the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to grant funds toward this research, provides further guidance on oversight and existing policies, and specifically revokes the earlier Executive Order 13435 by George W.…
Stem Cell Research Should Have More Government Funding The topic argument "Stem cell research government funding." For paper, construct argument defending a claim policy. Remember argument based a claim policy, writer seeks solve a problem establish a problem exists, part argument entail claims fact Stem cell research should have more government funding A stem cell can be defined as type of cell that can be found in many body tissues. Stem cells can
Conclusion This Technology Should Be Regulated and Controlled by Government There is not really much argument that stem cell research, regardless of its origin as embryonic or otherwise should be controlled to some degree by the government as the development of this research demonstrates a potential for abuse that is startling and could essentially be highly abused. The abuse of this type of research would likely be sourced in the desire of
Protecting the rights of the one and sacrificing the lives of many is a sensitive subject, especially when the sides cannot even agree upon whether or not the one should have rights or not. It would seem that the establishment of researching guidelines that prevents the harming of a subject, for research purposes, has set a precedent, and that this violates right to know laws, as there is no
And perhaps most importantly of all, the UW researchers continue, stem cells "...provide our only window to the earliest stages of human development and, after differentiation, access to more specialized cells that could vastly improve our understanding of the onset of cell-based diseases, and perhaps ways to prevent them." Among the diseases that may be able to be treated - and even cured - through stem cell research are Parkinson's Disease,
(Condic, 31) Scientists visualize immeasurable value in the application of embryonic stem cell research to comprehend human growth and the development and healing of ailments. More than 100 million Americans are ailing from the diseases that subsequently might be dealt more successfully or even cured with embryonic stem cell procedure. Majority of the researchers consider stem cell research as having large prospects for healing human ailments ever since the
Unfortunately, these undifferentiated cells cannot be harvested or removed from an adult because an adult's cells have already matured. Once matured, cells can't be overwritten to become another type of cell. but, embryonic cells are technically at a stage of growth where they are clearly cells but they have not yet reached a stage of becoming a specialized cell. Therefore, the stem cells can still be rewritten or redirected so
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