Legislation on Human Stem Cell - Research Paper Example

Legislation on Human Stem Cell Research Introduction There is a continued debate on the use of stem cells for the treatment of terminal illness. This has been a controversial subject due to the ethical, political and religious issues surrounding this subject. Stem cells are biological cells that have the ability to form new cells. Stem cells can differentiate into diverse, specialized cell types. These cells have been in the treatment of cancer, immunodeficiency diseases and other autoimmune diseases (Solo & Gasil, 2007). Humans have two types of stem cells, which include adult and embryonic stem cells. Embryonic cells come blastocyst’s inner layer. The adult stem cells are located in various tissues with varying potency. Potency of the stem cells indicates the number of cell types that can differentiate from the stem cells (Solo & Gasil, 2007). Embryonic cells are said to be pluripotent meaning they differentiate to form an array of tissues. This has attracted a controversial debate on the use of embryonic stem cells for treatment as well as research. This paper will explore the history of stem cell legislation in the US as well as compare this legislation to other statutes in the world. It will also elaborate on the current statutes concerning stem cell as well as the future of these statutes. The policies and laws on stem cell in the USA have undergone various, complicated changes over the years. Adult stem cells were first used for the treatment of leukemia in 1970. However, because of their limited potency, their use in research and treatment is limited. The debate on the use of embryonic stem cells is attributed to the fact that these cells are obtained from live embryos produced in the lab (Bellomo, 2006). The controversial issue surrounding this debate is the question on when life begins in humans. This is because some argue that the embryos created in the lab are humans and with rights to live. History on Legislation Roe Wade legalized abortion in the US in 1973. Five years after this, scientists and physicians delivered the first human following in vitro fertilization. These created the need for the federal government to enact policies and laws that restricted the use of public funds in the research of embryonic stem cells. All through history, there were no laws barring stem cell research in the USA (DeGette, 2008). However, the government put a restriction on the funding of the research based on stem cells. During President’s Clinton administration, the National Health Institute advised the government to permit the use of public funds for research on embryos. However, Clinton citing various moral and ethical issues declined to issue funds for this research. Furthermore, Clinton signed the Dickey Amendment in 1995 which forbade the use of federal money in funding the research on human embryos. The use of human embryonic stem cells for research featured significantly during Bush’s first term in office. In February 2001, he requested for the review of the NIH request concerning federal funding for research on the stem cells. Later on in August 2001, Bush issued a ban on the use of public funding in the research of human stem cells (DeGette, 2008). He argued that the creation and abortion of fetuses for the purpose of research was destroying human life and thus, should be avoided. In an effort to lift this ban, both 109th and 110th Congresses passed Bills to life the ban. However, both bills were vetoed by Bush using his Presidential powers. The 109th Congress also passed a Bill that banned the creation and destruction of human embryos for research purpose (DeGette, 2008). In 2005, the House passed the Stem Cell Enhancement Act which sought to allow the allocation of federal funds to research on human embryonic stem cells. The Presidential vetoed the Bill; therefore, it was never enacted into law. Later on, in 2006, Senate passed the Bill but the President did not approve it. In 2007, the legislation on stem cell research fell under two categories where there were Bills seeking to expand the use of public funds on this research and the other seeking to expand stem cell research with the preservation of the embryo (US GovTrack, 2012). The 110th congress passed a similar bill to the Stem Cell Enhancement Bill of 2005. However, President Bush was not willing to approve this bill during his second term. Later on, the Senate reviewed the Bill providing for the use of human stem cell with preservation of the embryo. Under this Bill, the embryos used in the research were to be donated from the fertilization clinic after informed consent was obtained from the donors (US GovTrack, 2012). In March 2009, President Barack Obama sought to remove the restrictions on the federal funding for research on human embryos (US GovTrack, 2012). He issued an Executive Order that removed barriers to responsible scientific research using human stem cells. The Executive order also changed the way NIH could conduct and support research using human embryonic stem cells. The executive order issued by Obama revoked the presidential statement made in 2001 by Bush which restricted the allocation of federal funding for this research. Comparison with other Legislations in the World The European Union member countries have different regulations on human stem cells research due to the diversity in culture, religious and ethical beliefs. The United Kingdom and Belgium have invested heavily in the stem cell research. The United Kingdom was the first to produce an animal clone from embryonic cells. The UK legislation allows for the creation of human embryos for the purpose of research. In 2008, the British House allowed for the research of animal and human hybrid embryos for both reproductive and therapeutic research. Other countries permit the creation of embryos for therapeutic purposes while prohibiting reproductive cloning. China, the Middle East and Japan are some of the countries that prohibit reproductive cloning. In 2003, china enacted a law that permitted the creation and destruction of human embryos to be employed in research. South Africa became the first African country to permit the use of stem cells for therapeutic purposes (Korobkin, 2007). In 2002, the country created a stem cell bank where human embryos are produced for the purpose of research. In Canada, the legislation is similar to that in the US. In 2006, the Canadian government enacted a law permitting the research on excess frozen embryos from the fertility clinics. Under this law, the government prohibited the creation and destruction of human embryos to be utilized in research. In addition, France does not permit the creation of human embryos for the purpose of research. The French government has also introduced guidelines on how the research on stem cells should be conducted. On the contrary, countries like Germany and Italy have restricted the production of human embryos to be employed in research. In 2008, the Italian government issued a law restricting the donation of sperms and ova for the purpose of research (Korobkin, 2007). They also restricted the preservation of extra embryos after in vitro fertilization. On the other hand, Germany does not allow for the creation of embryo for both therapeutic and reproductive cloning. However, these two countries permit the use of imported stem cells in therapeutic research. Current and future of Legislation on Stem Cell Research The legislation on stem cell research is significantly influenced by economic interests, politics and advancement in technology. Currently, the media coverage and economic interests have put pressure on the government to increase their support on stem cell research (Korobkin, 2007). Despite this pressure, the ethical issues surrounding this subject cannot be ignored. Following the election of President Barak Obama, the legislation on stem cell research was expanded to allow for responsible scientific research on human embryos. Although the research on human embryonic stem cell receives federal funding, there are guidelines and restriction on the procedure. The current legislation does not permit the use of stem cells for the purpose of reproductive cloning. Because of the ethical issues surrounding the subject, it does not permit the creation and abortion of human fetuses for the purpose of research. The law permits the Secretary of the Department of Human Health Services, through the National Health Institute, to support and conduct the research using human embryo. Under this law, the embryos are required to be donated from the fertilization clinic. This law advocates for the preservation of the human embryo. In the future, the law should expand further to facilitate research on human embryos. This is because of the ongoing pressure in providing medical solutions to various diseases. Scientists believe that the liberation of stem cell research could lead to medical advancements that would help cure some diseases. The use of adult stem cell for the treatment of various diseases has yielded successful results (Korobkin, 2007). Embryonic stem cells have greater potency than the adult stem cell, but its use for research has been entangled by religious, ethical and political issues. In the future, the law should allow for the creation of human embryos. Conclusion In conclusion, the issue on stem cell research has received growing attention due to the controversial issues surrounding the subject. The USA government has issued various laws restricting the creation and destruction of human embryos utilized in research. The current House of Representation has a Republican majority and few Democrats in the senate. Therefore, the future of the stem cell legislation is unclear. In my opinion, I believe that stem cells should be used for therapeutic cloning. Scientist report that the cells can be used for disease like diabetes, Parkinsonism and other degenerative disorders that cannot be cured using medications and surgery (Korobkin, 2007). The future on stem cell research is promising due to the current innovation in technology. Therefore, the legislation should be expanded to accommodate the demands of the public in terms of health. Reference List Bellomo, F. (2006). The Stem Cell Divide: The Facts, Fiction, and the Fear Driving the Greatest Scientific, Political,and Religious Debate of Our Time. NY: American Management Association. DeGette, D. (2008). Sex, Science, and Stem Cells: Inside the Right Wing Assault on Reason. NY: Lyon Press. H.R. 3: Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2007. GovTrack.us. Accessed on 8th May, 2012. Retrieved from http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?tab=summary&bill=h110-3 Kellman, L. (2006). Senate Approves Embryo Stem Cell Bill. Associated Press, July 18, 2006. Retrieved from http://www.breitbart.com/news/2006/07/18/D8IUKSRO0.html Korobkin, R. (2007). Stem Cell Century: Law and Policy for a Breakthrough Technology. Yale University Press. Solo, P., & Gasil, G. (2007). The Promise and Politics of Stem Cell Research. Connecticut: Praeger. Read More