What Is the History of Stem Cell Legislation in the United States - Essay Example

Stem Cell Research Legislation in U.S Stem Cell Research Legislation in U.S Introduction The term stem cell is derived from a Latin word “cella” or “small room.” These cells have a remarkable ability to develop into many special types of cells in the body during early stages of life. The cells serve as a source of internal system of repair in many bodily tissues, dividing without limit to replenish other cells when a person is still alive. In case a stem cell divides, each new cell formed has the ability to become either another cell type with a more specialized role, such as a red blood cell, muscle cell, or cell of the brain, or may continue as a stem cell. The stem cells stand out among other forms of cells, as they are unspecialized cells with the aptitude to replenish themselves through division. The other feature of these cells is that under experimental or physiological conditions, they can be induced to become a tissue, an organ or specific cells capable of performing specialized functions (Congress, 2010). In organs such as the born marrow and gut, stem cells repeatedly divide to repair and replace damaged and worn out tissues. In some organs such as the heart and pancreas, stem cells only replicate under certain conditions. Scientists have recently worked on two types of stem cells derived from humans and animals: embryonic stem cells and non-embryonic (somatic or adult stem cells). The discovery dates back to 1981 when scientists discovered how to derive embryonic stem cells from early mouse embryos. This discovery was made due to the importance of stem cells for living organisms. For instance, their peculiar regenerative abilities make them suitable for treatments of diseases such as heart and diabetes. Nevertheless, a lot of research still needs to be done in the laboratories and clinics to get a better knowledge of how to use stem cells for cell-based therapies in treatment of ailments. Stem cell research still continues to advance know-how concerning how an organism develops from a single cell and how cells that are healthy replace damaged cells in the adult organism. Research on stem cell is thus one of the most fascinating areas of contemporary biology. Nevertheless, with many fields of scientific enquiry expanding, stem cell research raises scientific questions as fast as it creates new discoveries. The objective of this paper is to explore the stem cell research legislation history in the US. The paper will also discuss how it compares to comparable statutes in the rest of the world. The paper will finally explore the current legislative state of affairs and its future development in the US. History of Stem Cell Research Legislation in the United States Adult stem cell research of a human being began in 1960s, for the very first time achieving a lot of success in treatment of a patient who had been suffering from a disorder which was a combined immunodeficiency. This has witnessed a tremendous growth and usage since 1970s, in which adult stem cells have effectively been employed for treatment of leukemia and immunodeficiency. Many people, including scientists, have been in support of the nature, scope, necessity, and urgency of research on stem cells (Congress, 2010). As such, if there is any possibility of preserving human life and treating diseases such as leukemia, cancer, heart ailments, and HIV/AIDS among others, then it is important that the Federal government of the United States of America should invest more funds in the research of stem cells. This is due to the fact that, no one can certainly predict what the future holds accurately. Therefore, even those opposing the stem cell research may one day may find themselves in dire need of stem cells to save their lives. In fact, no one can predict accurately whether they may suffer from cancer now, including the doctors themselves. As such, measures need to be put in place for any eventuality of how these serious ailments can be contained. This can only be possible through stem cell research. A case to support the need of stem cells was reported when an AIDS patient from Germany was able to stop taking drugs he had been prescribed to take for ten years after being subjected to stem cell transplant from a donor who had a rare variant of a gene known to be highly resistant to these dangerous diseases (Congress, 2007). Research on embryonic stem cells appears to be unethical, as it seems as if someone is being killed in the process. This is because it involves using a fetus that has just begun to develop. As such, it goes against the moral values of many people in the society, who perceive it as murder. This raises a lot of questions as to when human life really begins. A blastocyte used as stem cell in this case is a thin-walled hollow structure in earlier development of an embryo, which contains numerous clusters of cells known as inner cell mass. It is within this cell that the embryo develops (Congress, 2007). The outer covering of the cell develops into placenta and other tissues required for the development of the fetus within the uterus, while inner cell mass cells develop to form tissues of the body. The controversy surrounding the research on embryonic stem cells, considering it as against pro-life, seems to have put a dead end to this research (Congress, 2010). This is because some opponents argue that it gives false promises to patients while killing an embryo in the process. Some also argued that stem cell has never cured any form of disease since its introduction. Moreover, it is also seen as a procedure which has never gone beyond research on animal laboratory. Furthermore, embryonic stem cell is prone to serious tumors as well as tissue rejection. Pro-stem cells research deduces that many fertilized stem cells have been banked already but are kept away from the research (Congress, 2010). Pro-embryonic stem cell research argues that new human lives will no longer be used for the sole purpose of experimentations. The issue surrounding stem cell research, especially research on embryonic stem cells, generated a heated debate, especially at the political level in the US during the first years of the then president George Walker Bush in 2001. Federal Register (2007) notes that on the 9th of August the same year, the Bush administration imposed a ban on federal spending for purposes of promoting embryonic stem cells generated from fertilized embryos. In his official address, he referred to moral grounds, stating that researching on embryos is destroying human life and should be abated. This did not go well with the Congressmen. As a result, both the 109th and 110th Congresses passed bill overturning the ban imposed by President Bush, but President Bush disallowed both of them. During the 109th Congress, both houses passed this bill and Bush signed a bill barring the establishment of human fetuses for the purpose of destroying them and harvesting their body parts. The Senate also went ahead to pass a bill allowing the research on creation of stem cell lines without having to destroy the human embryos. Most complex metazoan tissue contains rare subset of cells, capable of renewing themselves, and also gives rise to mature daughter cells (Congress, 2007). These stem cells are likely to build tissues and are kept in adult life to create them. Leukemia and cancer are not exceptions to this. Cancer stem cells and the rare leukemia have been singled out, which contain the tumorigenicity of the entire tumor. Thus, it is these features that will provide guidance to future therapies. In fact, none of this was apparent two decades ago, yet it is evident how this kind of stem cell thinking creates a new perspective in medical science, which is capable of ushering in other new therapies that could assist in treatment of deadly diseases. Currently, political, religious, and ethical issues concerning embryonic stem cells and pluripotent research on stem cells are at the center stage in an attempt by the US government to ban these important fields of discovery and potential therapies. The interventions need physician-scientists and physicians to establish for themselves whether personal ethics and welfare of patients would dominate in their practices and whether all the aspects of research on stem cells can be carried out more securely and in a more regulated manner. The Comparison to comparable statutes in the rest of the world. The debate surrounding the embryonic stem cell research not only creates debate in the US but also in the entire world. Nevertheless, the rest of the world seems to embrace stem cell research and its positive contributions appear to create a difference in the lives of many, prompting the government of these states to provide funding and grants for promoting the research. Australia. Australia has an Australian Stem Cell Centre, where embryonic stem cells are taken from embryos produced by fertilized eggs in in-vitro fertilization (IVF) clinic. Excess embryos not needed for implantation are removed and used. These are donated for purposes of research under the consent of the donors. It is worth noting that they are not taken from eggs that have already been fertilized within the body of a woman, since, according to Australian laws, it is illegal to carry out research on embryos that have been conceived naturally. The law states that embryos cannot be created specifically for research purposes (International Stem Cell Research, 2012). China: It is noted that StemCellsChina works to link people across the globe with stem cell therapy centers in China. Despite still being somewhat unidentified in the West, adult stem cell therapy such as umbilical cord and autologous stem cells has witnessed long history. In fact, many hospitals treating patients have not witnessed three cases of Cerebral Palsy but have seen hundreds of thousands. Ataxia symptoms can be reduced radically. Many genetic disorders have been seen to respond well to umbilical cord and blood cells (International Stem Cell Research 2012). Different opinions on embryonic stem cell research still exist in the society. The most pressing issue for majority opposed to the research on stem cell is that obtaining inner mass cells involve the destruction of a human embryo. This is particularly distressing to those who view an embryo as a human life. Others view blastocyst as a ball of cells with a potential of becoming a human, so it may not be destroyed. The debate, however, still continues. The current legislative state of affairs on stem cell research in U.S The Obama administration has brought relief with regard to stem cell research. This is after it came up with new rules regarding stem cell research – the government will now henceforth provide funding for more research than was possible under Bush administration that scraped and put a lot of restrictions. Nevertheless, some more promising researches for the future are still being denied support of the general public. The good news came on March 9, 2009, when president Barack Obama gave an Executive Order (EO) 13505, entitled Removing Barriers to Responsible Scientific Research Involving Human Stem Cells (Federal Register, 2009). This was indeed a noble thing to do, as it lifts a ban on stem cell research. This is because it is acknowledged across the globe that stem cell research can lead to discovery of how to treat certain diseases, such as cancer, HIV, heart diseases, leukemia, and the like. The fact that I am pro-life makes me oppose the idea of embryonic stem cell research, since it entails taking an innocent life. This is based on my conviction that human life begins at conception. The March 9, 2009 EO, will change the way National Institute of Health (NIH) conducts and supports human stem cell research (Federal Register, 2009). This is because the order requires the Director of NIH to review the existing NIH and other accepted guidelines on human stem cell research. The order also requires issuing NIH guidance in not more than 120 days since the date of EO (Federal Register, 2009). Where US law on stem cell research should go in the future and why? President Back Obama has already set the ball rolling by lifting an 8 year old ban on stem cell research. The US law on stem cell research should approve more funding and grants by the government, carry out more research, and establish a cure for deadly diseases, such as leukemia, cancer, heart ailments, and IHV/AIDS. I am convinced that the world will never be disease-free due to chromosomal mutations, but at least the world should come closer to this condition. References Federal Register (2007). The President: Executive Order 13435-Expanding Approved Stem Cell Lines in Ethically Responsible Ways (Part II). June 22, 34591-34593. Federal Register (2009). The President: Executive Order 13505-Removing Barriers to Responsible Scientific Research Involving Human Stem Cells (Part IV). Vol. 74, No. 46 March 9. 10667-10668. Congress (2010). Congressional Record, V. 152, Pt. 7, May 18, 2006 to May 26, 2006, Part 7. Washington, DC: Government Printing Office. International Stem Cell Research (2012). Retrieved from http://stemcells.nih.gov/research/intlresearch.asp Read More