Stem Cell Research Policy of the United States: A Policy Analysis of the Science, Ethics, and Politics of Stem Cell Research

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2008
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Haverford College. Department of Political Science
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eng
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Haverford users only
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Abstract
"There is almost no realm of medicine that might not be touched by this innovation. It is not too unrealistic to say that this research has the potential to revolutionize the practice of medicine and improve the quality and length of life," testified Harold Varmus, the former director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), before the Senate Appropriations Committee on the future benefits of stem cell research. The scientific and medical fields have conviction and confidence in the potential of stem cell research to revolutionize the human condition. The existence of stem cells were known for some time, but it was not until 1998, when stem cell research exploded onto the national scene after stem cell investigators developed human embryonic stem cells in vitro. This led to the conclusion that studying stem cells will help better understand the biology of cells, which will lead to a better understanding of human development. Scientists hope to learn how a single cell, the early embryo, divides, grows and gives rise to the trillions of cells and hundreds of tissues that make up the human body. Gaining a more complete grasp of how the human organism develops could open the door to understanding how healthy cells replace damaged cells and how cellular proliferation is regulated in space and time. Stem cells are classified as "regenerative medicine" because they have the potential to cure diseases directly by replacing specific types of cells which are damaged by disease or injury. Stem cell research offers hope and promise for curing a range of conditions including Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's diseases, spinal cord injury, stroke, heart disease, diabetes, and rheumatoid arthritis. Beyond replacing damaged cells, stem cell biology can be beneficial in developing and testing potential drugs for many diseases. Scientists can test the efficacy and toxicity of pharmaceuticals and other medical treatments on these cells. Yet, as stem cell research has proceeded, it has faced moral and ethical issues. The use of embryos in human embryonic stem cell research (hESC), and specifically leftover in vitro fertilization embryos, has stirred religious and secular arguments regarding the significance of the human embryo. The issue of federal funding for stem cell research has been grappled by two presidential administrations, Congress, and the American public. Despite the controversies, stem cell research has continued to develop in the public and private sector of the United States as well as internationally. Alternatives to embryonic stem cell research, especially adult stem cell research, have been strongly advocated by President Bush, and recent breakthroughs purport the potential of alternative research. Finally, the future of stem cell research policy in the United States lies in remedying the issues that permeate this debate.
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