AS MANY states make significant headway in embryonic stem cell research, little progress towards researching one the most promising fields of medicine is being made at the federal level.
On Tuesday, a report released by the National Academy of Sciences highlighted the need for regulations governing research involving embryonic stem cells. The report recommends a set of standards for researchers in the United States to follow, ensuring better oversight of strict ethical guidelines.
The lack of oversight standards, as cited in the report, is an example of why a centralized and federally funded policy is needed to explore this promising field of medical research.
In 2001, President Bush halted all federal funding for stem cells that were obtained after Aug. 9, 2001. Despite the freeze on federal funding, individual states have been making substantial progress. California has taken the lead with the passing of a ballot referendum last November which approved $3 billion for state stem cell research.
According to USA Today, Richard O'Hynes, professor of cancer research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and co-chair of the committee that prepared the report for Congress, says the rat race among states highlights the need for "a standard set of requirements for deriving, storing, distributing, and using embryonic stem cell lines -- one to which the entire U.S. scientific community adheres" as "the best way for this research to move forward."
Moving forward in research is crucial, given the incredible potential of embryonic stem cells in the field of medicine. The unique nature of human embryonic stem cells allows researchers to coax the cells to perform a variety of regenerative functions, including the replacement of almost any tissue in the human body.
According to the National Institutes of Health, stem cells "offer the possibility of a renewable source of replacement cells and tissues to treat a myriad of diseases including Parkinson's and Alzheimer's, spinal cord injury, stroke, burns, heart disease, diabetes, osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis." The federal policy of undermining the advancement of such promising research is a disservice to those suffering from debilitating diseases.
The current embryonic stem cell research policy is decentralized because of the lack of federal funding and regulations. This is causing an outsourcing of leading U.S. researchers. Roger Pederson, former professor at the University of California -- Berkeley and a leading medical researcher, is among a number of prominent U.S. scientists who have moved to Britain to conduct their research. According to The Scientist, Pedersen cited the stability of British policy over the "volatility of policy" in the United States as the incentive to carry out research in England.
According to the Boston Globe, Britain's centralized approach contrasts wih America because U.S. policy encourages "[stem cell] lines [that] are held by a patchwork of companies and universities scattered around the world." The U.S. policy is inefficient for the advancement of this promising field of research as there is no federal research regulations ensuring oversight.
The United States risks falling behind the rest of the industrialized world in the field of medical science through not supporting such breakthrough medical research at the federal level. Although individual states are making progress, the fragmented and unregulated current research standards are not enough. Federal funding for the research would centralize and regulate the standards under which the research is conducted.
Opponents argue that it is unethical to use human embryos for the advancement of scientific research. The current policy has no federal ethical guidelines for carrying out such research, due to the lack of federal oversight that comes with federal funding. Federal oversight would allow the government to establish ethical guidelines for such research that all researchers would adhere to. This a substantial improvement over the current policy for those concerned about the ethical implications of stem cell research because it allows the government greater control over research standards.
The current federal policy is detrimental to advancing the field of embryonic stem cell research in the United States. The policy denies the public the potential benefits of stem cells in curing disease while endorsing a system that encourages states to compete with little federal regulation. Stem cell research should be both federally funded and ethically regulated.
Sophia Brumby's column appears Fridays in the Cavalier Daily. She can be reached at sbrumby@cavalierdaily.com.
Address the arguments against stem cell research.EH
Read More
GARVIE: Commend the University’s continuous care for the environment
By Adeline Garvie | YesterdayWe must applaud the University for the efforts they are continuously making to be more sustainable.
CARTER: Did anyone actually want VERVE?
By Nathaniel Carter | April 19, 2025While VERVE may shift student demand closer to Grounds, whether housing market effects will outweigh the harms of the University’s expanding presence is a gamble Charlottesville residents may not wish to take.
SCHENBERG: Our foreign students and colleagues deserve better
April 18, 2025I pray that we will not persecute now and atone later.
