Stem Cell Research

With a new president coming into office, the widely disputed argument of stem cell research is becoming more important. Until now, the U.S. has not been a big supporter of stem cell research and the government has ultimately been the reason why there hasn't been much progress in this research, but future president Obama is planning for change. One of the biggest problems with stem cell research is the funding. Research is very expensive and the governmnet has not put foward any kind of funding for it. If Obama and the dominantly democratic congress could pass a bill to start funding new research there will be drastic reactions. Many people disagree with this research because of moral issues but others are strongly supportive of it because they or people they know suffer from diseases that could possibly be cured by use of stem cells. Currently, research is being conducted on bone marrow stem cells, but the use of these stem cells is surrounded by many problems. Bone marrow stem cells can only be collected in small quantities, they may not be a match for the patient, and they have limited ability to transform into specialized cells. By using embryonic stem cells, research in this field could lead to phenominal outcomes. Keep an eye out for the topic to appear in the news very soon.

http://obama.senate.gov/speech/060717-statement_of_su/index.php



Patrick Long

VTPP 434-502