Obama’s Promise Fulfilled, Bans on Stem Cell Lifted

By Mary Hamner

One of President Barack Obama’s campaign promises was to help lift the bans on Stem Cell Research. Monday, March 9, 2009, he kept that promise. Obama signed the Stem Cell Executive Order and Scientific Integrity Presidential Memorandum to help break the fund barriers that are preventing most of the research required to develop stem cell therapy.

Obama said in his executive order, which can be found on the White House website, (www.whitehouse.gov) that “Scientists believe these tiny cells may have the potential to help us understand, and possibly cure, some of our most devastating diseases and conditions. To regenerate a severed spinal cord and lift someone from a wheelchair. To spur insulin production and spare a child from a lifetime of needles. To treat Parkinson’s, cancer, heart disease and others that affect millions of Americans and the people who love them.

“But that potential will not reveal itself on its own. Medical miracles do not happen simply by accident. They result from painstaking and costly research-from years of lonely trial and error, much of which never bears fruit-and from a government willing to support that work.”

Stem cells are the basic materials that form the human body. They have the potential to restore tissues that are damaged due to disease or injury.

“Stem cell research is using cells that don’t know what they will become yet, using it to help cure diseases,” said Jill Ames, biology teacher.

Stem cell therapy is done by transplanting stem cells into the damaged area, guiding them to grow into healthy tissue. Another possibility would be coaxing the already existing cells to produce new tissue.

According to the University of Utah Genetic website (learn.genetics.utah.edu), researchers have found more success in transplants than in trying to direct the cells. There is still no guarantee that the transplanted cells would be able to adapt to their new environment and produce dopamine. If the cells do not receive the proper signals then they might malfunction, form tumors, or die.

The controversy that surrounds stem cell research is where researchers would harvest the cells. A fetal stem cell is found in fetal brain tissue that can only be gathered in terminated or aborted human babies or late-stage embryos.

Fortunately, fetal are not the only stem cells that can be used. Adult stem cells, umbilical cord blood stem cells and blastocryst embryonic stem cells are also possible resources for research.

“We will support it only when it is both scientifically worthy and responsibly conducted. We will develop strict guidelines, which we will rigorously enforce, because we cannot ever tolerate misuse or abuse. And we will ensure that our government never opens the door to the use of cloning for human reproduction. It is dangerous, profoundly wrong, and has no place in our society, or any society,” said Obama in his Executive Order.

Stem cell therapy may have dangerous side effects, but it could also solve many health problems that plague Americans. With Obama’s order, the Bush Administration’s policy, made in 2001, banning funds to stem cell research was lifted.