By degree I'm a biologist. By experience, I'm a microbiologist. Currently I work for a company that provides sterilization for a number of markets, using gamma radiation and Ethylene Oxide gas. I'd say it's a fair comment to say I usually "get" the science stuff. And it took me a while to wrap my head around the stem cell issue.
Essentially, a stem cell is just a cell that hasn't decided what it wants to be yet. So it can turn into an eye cell, a stomach cell, a heart cell, a blood cell etc. This is exciting stuff! Right? Well, I sure think it is, but many just hear "Blah Blah Blah".
Let's skip all the nitty gritty - the key parts to understand is that many scientists believe these "magic" cells will be able to cure many diseases. We can already see benefits for some blood diseases - like leukemia. Bone marrow holds stem cells that can be used to form different blood cells. Umbilical cord blood is a similar type of stem cell. These are considered "adult stem cells".
So what's an embryonic stem cell? This is a cell that comes from a destroyed embryo. An embryo is the stage of human development right before fetus. These cells have not yet been successful in curing any diseases. There are 60 lines of embryonic stem cells that were already in existence before George W. Bush had to make his decision on funding this research. Each line came from a separate embryo, and they can continue to divide and essentially provide limitless cells for experimentation.
Why did he impose a ban on the research? He didn't. No one did. There was never a ban. George W. Bush was the first president to offer federal funding for this research. To be fair, the funding bill was first proposed during Clinton's administration, but he left office before he could sign it. Bush added a caveat that said the research must use one of the existing stem cell lines. You cannot create and destroy new life if you want federal funds. There's a slippery slope theory, about women getting pregnant to get paid for their embryos and other horror scenarios. Would these happen? Maybe. Does it matter? No.
So how come John Kerry and John Edwards and so many others kept talking about "the ban on stem cell research"? I don't know... no scruples? And how come they said "People like Christopher Reeve would get up and walk" if John Kerry were President and could lift the "ban", when in fact, no diseases have been cured by embryonic stem cells? I couldn't tell you the answer. I'm still baffled at how they made so many people believe these silly tales.
And how come Bush didn't make it clear that there was NO BAN? You've got me.
Unfortunately in the world of politics, there are a lot of things I don't know and don't understand. Bald-faced lies and refusal to set the record straight are just a couple.
For the record, last week, President Obama lifted all restrictions on which lines can be used in research. He has not however, offered funding for creation of new lines.
Also for the record - I am such a strong believer in such research that I have had the cord blood of all 3 of my children banked. And yet, somehow, GW Bush is still one of my heroes... go figure.
References:
http://stemcells.nih.gov/policy/statements/082701list.asp
http://usgovinfo.about.com/blwhrelease16.htm
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/03/09/politics/100days/domesticissues/main4853385.shtml
No comments:
Post a Comment