| Stem cell research has been at the forefront of | | | | research is not intended to provide medical benefits |
| many ethical debates in recent years. The manners in | | | | to the donors" and "a decision to donate or not to |
| which the cells must be harvested and their usage | | | | donate will not affect future medical care" (NBAC |
| for advancement in biomedical research along with | | | | report 4). In addition to that the commission |
| the use of federal funds to finance the ongoing | | | | recommends that in federally funded research, the |
| research has proven to be a debate that is not easily | | | | researchers "may not promise donors that stem cells |
| resolved even with the revolutionary advances in the | | | | derived from their embryos will be used to treat |
| treatment and prevention of disease, injury and birth | | | | patients specified by the donors (NBAC report 5) and |
| defects. Although the benefits of continuing work on | | | | recommendation seven states, "Embryos and fetal |
| stem cell research sometimes outweigh its costs the | | | | tissues should not be bought or sold" (NBAC report |
| final judgment for this issue should be that stem cell | | | | 5). The commission's recommendations eight through |
| research should not be allowed due to several | | | | thirteen deal with the formation of different |
| reasons. | | | | committees, subcommittees, as well as watch dog |
| Many of those who oppose ongoing research do so | | | | groups to oversee funding and ethics (NBAC report |
| because of a religious stand point regarding life and | | | | 6). The NBAC concluded that it would be acceptable |
| how much respect an embryo should be awarded. | | | | for the federal government to fund research of both |
| Yet, many of those same individuals acknowledge | | | | types of stem cells. They came to these |
| and approve of in vitro fertilization (the implantation | | | | recommendations only if certain guidelines as well as |
| of a human embryo created in a Petri dish) for those | | | | safeguards are in place. They did, however, |
| who are genetically incapable of having children. Who | | | | recommend not funding any project that created |
| gets to decide when religious bounds have been | | | | embryos just for research. |
| crossed and to which religion in the scientific | | | | Several months after the commission presented their |
| community do we allow these bounds to be | | | | findings to the senate subcommittee, it was signed |
| standardized upon? The United States Policy on | | | | into law. President Clinton also approved these new |
| human stem cell research as articulated by President | | | | laws. These laws remained in effect until several |
| Bush on August 9, 2001 is as follows: Permits federal | | | | months ago when President Bush changed many of |
| funding only for research using cells from | | | | the laws already in affect. As the election of |
| approximately 60 stem cell lines identified by the | | | | President Bush was confirmed, many of those in the |
| National Institute of Health as having been derived | | | | scientific field waited in silence. These scientists were |
| from excess human embryos prior to the August 9 | | | | waiting for the president's decision on stem cell |
| announcement. There is currently no federal law or | | | | research. While these scientists waited, a country |
| policy prohibiting the private sector from creating | | | | that dominated the biotech world was falling behind. |
| stem cells by in vitro fertilization or by the SCNT | | | | The US had up until this point conduced up to 90% |
| technique for the purpose of research. The policy of | | | | of the world's biomedical research, and US federal |
| most individual states also permits private funding for | | | | dollars and private spending exceeded that of the |
| the use of embryonic stem cells for the purpose of | | | | rest of the world put together (Capell 1). After |
| research, although a few states have banned the | | | | President Bush announced that federal funding would |
| continuation of research techniques. | | | | be cut for stem cell research, the United States |
| While there is much hope and promise in this research | | | | started its decline. How much the US started to fall |
| there are many things that need to be understood | | | | back wasn't clear until several weeks later. The |
| first. First an understanding of what causes a stem | | | | realization came when the National Institutes of |
| cell to replicate and become a specialized cell needs | | | | Health announced that 48 of the 64 stem cell lines |
| to be known. Scientists need to know this before | | | | available for funding were in labs outside the US. |
| they can tell that cell what it must become. Another | | | | There are several reasons for larger lines of stem |
| obstacle that must be overcome is the possibility of | | | | cells outside the United States. First, in other |
| immune system rejection. If stem cells are used from | | | | countries there are fewer restrictions on stem cell |
| a donor the recipient's immune system may reject | | | | research. Second, there is more funding available for |
| and even kill the new healthy stem cells. Science | | | | this type of research (Capell 1). With the |
| would have to find a way to stop this rejection prior | | | | announcement that came on the ninth of August, |
| to the use of donor stem cells (National Institutes of | | | | many things changed. Stem cell research in the |
| Health 2). Many guidelines and safeties need to be | | | | private sector is now unregulated. This should cause |
| put into place by the federal government before any | | | | concern for many people. With the privatization of |
| type of research can go forward. President Clinton | | | | research come many different problems. One of the |
| and his administration realized this need for | | | | first problems we may see is patenting of stem cells. |
| government control over stem cell research and | | | | As large companies buy up the embryos available the |
| issued a letter on November 14,1998 to the chairman | | | | price of research will increase (Capell 2). According to |
| of the National Bioethics Advisory Commission | | | | an article that appeared in Business Week as |
| (NBAC), James Childress, Ph.D. In this letter to Dr. | | | | research costs rise so will the end cost to the |
| Childress President Clinton asked the NBAC to | | | | consumer (Capell 3). By deregulating stem cell |
| "undertake a through review of the issues associated | | | | research, the president has taken control of cost and |
| with ... human stem cell research, balancing all ethical | | | | monopolization from the government and given it to |
| and medical considerations" (Childress 2). | | | | the big corporate companies. President Bush, in his |
| It was from that time until September of 1999, when | | | | statement to the nation stated he had taken all facts |
| the commission submitted its report, that the | | | | into consideration before making his decision. But yet |
| commission spent most of its time investigating the | | | | he still favored the cutting of funding. The president's |
| issues associated with stem cell research. The | | | | reason for cutting this funding was because it is |
| commission believed that it was important to get as | | | | morally wrong. He also stated that it goes against his |
| clear a picture as possible on both the ethical and | | | | beliefs. President Bush's reasons for cutting this |
| scientific issues surrounding stem cell research. The | | | | funding seem to conflict a precedent long set in this |
| commission first held meetings with Dr. Gearhart and | | | | country to keep the state separate from the church. |
| Dr. Thomson as well as several other scientists | | | | These are most obvious in the ruling of Roe vs. |
| involved with stem cell research. After these | | | | Wade, and the ruling of no prayer in public schools. |
| meetings it became very clear to the commission | | | | Yet in the case of stem cell research that doesn't |
| why stem cell research had generated so much | | | | seem so. The most prominent opposition to this |
| interest. The interest was in the use of human stem | | | | research is the Catholic Church. Pope John Paul II, |
| cells to treat possibly every disease and disorder | | | | wrote, "It is immoral to produce human embryos |
| known to humans. As well as being beneficial to the | | | | destined to be exploited as disposable biological |
| advancement of new drugs. The commission did | | | | matter" (Paul II 1). |
| realize however that this research raised serious | | | | The Catholic Church has always believed that life |
| ethical concerns. These concerns involved the two | | | | begins at conception, or the very moment an egg is |
| sources of stem cells, fetal tissues from elective | | | | fertilized. This is why the church has always opposed |
| abortions as well as surplus embryos obtained from | | | | stem cell research, and with good reason, they |
| fertility clinics. Realizing its need to explore the ethical | | | | believe it destroys human life. Even with the |
| issues involved with stem cell research the | | | | president's decision to limit the funding it has still |
| commission convened again. This time the meeting | | | | upset the pro-life groups. President Bush's option to |
| was held at Georgetown University. The topic was | | | | limit funding for stem cell research not only upset |
| religious perspectives relating to human stem cell | | | | pro-life groups but also religious leaders and many |
| research. Altogether eleven scholars in Roman | | | | scientists. Several of these scientists have fled to |
| Catholic, Jewish, Eastern Orthodox, Islamic, and | | | | Great Britain, which has fewer restrictions on stem |
| Protestant traditions presented formal testimony to | | | | cell research (Capell 3). For this reason it is believed |
| the commission. At this meeting as Drenkhahn 6 well | | | | that many more scientists and researchers will leave |
| as all the others held by the commission the public | | | | for Great Britain. Meanwhile, the president's decision |
| was invited and encouraged to speak. After the | | | | left abortion opponents engaged and trying to |
| meeting, it was obvious to the commission that there | | | | defend one of their most basic beliefs that life starts |
| were many different perspectives about research on | | | | at the moment of conception. They believe that this |
| both the fetal tissues and human embryos (NBAC | | | | embryo is entitled to the same rights a grown person |
| report 3). | | | | is allowed (Mitchell 1). The president's statement of |
| The commission did find an agreement from all | | | | "its ok to experiment on embryos that were |
| parties involved in the meetings that "human | | | | destroyed before Aug. 9th" was compared to be as |
| embryos deserve respect as a form of human life" | | | | moral as selling the gold teeth of Holocaust victims; |
| (NBAC report 90). They also found though that many | | | | after all they are already dead. (Mitchell 2) |
| of the groups disagreed as to what form of respect | | | | Bush says his stem cell policy won't change, and he |
| and type of protection the embryos should get. | | | | promises to veto any legislation that would allow |
| Many in the group did think that the sources for | | | | funding on new cell lines (Weiss 2). This hard line |
| stem cells should not be used unless absolutely | | | | approach to stem cells will only cause the United |
| necessary. In the end though the commission was | | | | States to fall further behind in this area of |
| able to come up with thirteen different | | | | bioresearch. "Should the US stop funding this |
| recommendations for both the president and the | | | | research, it will seriously and adversely affect the |
| senate subcommittee, the final plan as to this | | | | prospects for human health for the next 100 years," |
| research was produced. Recommendations one | | | | according to William A. Haseline, CEO of Human |
| through seven are the most important. These | | | | Genome Sciences Inc. and a renowned biotech |
| recommendations deal with the funding, ethics and | | | | researcher. If funding stopped the United States |
| guideline need for stem cell research. The first | | | | would lose more then its leadership position (Capell 3). |
| recommendation that is made regards funding of | | | | Contrary to the statements made by the president, |
| fetal tissue stem cell research. The commission found | | | | members of congress said they would sponsor a bill |
| that it is acceptable for the government to fund fetal | | | | expanding research. At this time though it looks like |
| tissue research, as long as the choice of abortion | | | | no new bills will be introduced this year, which will |
| was independent and not for the sole purpose of | | | | allow scientists to start working under the new rules. |
| research (NBAC report 3). The second | | | | Most people are convinced that President Bush will |
| recommendation pertains to funding of embryonic | | | | not keep his current position on stem cell research. |
| research. The commission found that it is acceptable | | | | They believe that whether the current lines of stem |
| for the government to fund embryonic cell research, | | | | cells are successful or not, pressure to expand the |
| as long as the embryos are surplus embryos left | | | | line will be intense. This pressure will not only come |
| over from fertility treatments. The commission also | | | | from his opponents but from some members of his |
| recommended new regulations and statutes for the | | | | own part. The fear remains, however that this sort |
| ethics involved in this research. | | | | of research will inevitable lead to human cloning and |
| The next two recommendations made by the | | | | the creation of designer children. Many ethical |
| commission covered the creation of stem cells for | | | | decisions must be made on this issue before any |
| research purposes only. The commission | | | | compromises can be made. Therefore taking into |
| recommended that the federal government not fund | | | | account the experience that we already have |
| any project that deliberately creates embryonic stem | | | | concerning most of the technological advancements |
| cells for research purposes only (NBAC report 5). This | | | | that lead to ozone depletion and many other |
| research includes both invetro fertilization or by a | | | | environmental problems we should not continue with |
| process called somatic cell nuclear transfer cloning | | | | these experiments in order to think of better future |
| (NBAC report 5). Both recommendations five and six | | | | for our children. Most of the cases when humans |
| deal with specific disclosure information. This | | | | interact with regular flow of nature and environment |
| information is intended for those who are willing to | | | | humans do not get in full what they expected and |
| donate surplus embryos. The commission | | | | the issue of pro's and con's is highly controversial. |
| recommends that donors be advised "stem cell | | | | |