Stem cell turnabout renews clash
President Obama on Monday overturned the ban on federal funding for most embryonic stem cell research — and reignited a skirmish in the culture wars at the same time.
Keeping a campaign promise, the president signed an executive order reversing a Bush administration policy that banned federal funding for research into embryonic stem cell lines created after Aug. 9, 2001.
Noting that embryonic stem cell research could lead to cures for heart disease, cancer and other potentially fatal conditions, Obama portrayed his support for the research as a moral decision.
“When it comes to stem cell research, rather than furthering discovery, our government has forced what I believe is a false choice between sound science and moral values,” Obama said at a White House signing ceremony. “In this case, I believe the two are not inconsistent. As a person of faith, I believe we are called to care for each other and work to ease human suffering.”
Obama’s order raises the potential for new sums of federal money to come to research institutions across the country, including the University at Buffalo and Roswell Park Cancer Institute.
But it also enrages abortion rights opponents, who view the destruction of embryonic stem cells for research purposes as the destruction of human life.
“Mr. Obama has referred to embryos as ‘excess’; he has total disregard for the moral value of life,” said Stasia Zoladz Vogel, president of the Buffalo Regional Right to Life Committee. “This latest development proves that helpless life can be used as lab rats.”
Scientists counter by noting that the embryonic stem cells in question usually come from fertility clinics and would be destroyed if not used for research.
Moreover, they say embryonic stem cells — which are believed to be able to morph into any cell in the body — could eventually lead to miracle cures for everything from diabetes to Parkinson’s disease.
“It’s fantastic news and has huge implications across a wide variety of diseases,” said Candace S. Johnson, senior vice president for translational research and deputy director of Roswell Park.
Obama’s decision to lift the executive order restricting federal funding for embryonic stem cell research will make longer-term research projects easier to conduct, said Kenneth M. Tramposch, associate vice president for research at UB.
“The availability of federal funds will be important, and we can use the funds to leverage the money we receive from the state,” he said.
Stem cell research began to blossom in Buffalo after the state’s creation in 2007 of a program to provide $600 million in funding for stem cell research over 11 years to institutions in New York.
In the most recent state funding cycle from the Empire State Stem Cell Board, UB expects to receive $5 million for six research projects. UB’s scientific efforts include investigations into the role that stem cells can play in regenerating damaged tissue to treat cardiovascular and neurological conditions.
Meanwhile, Roswell Park expects to receive $1.25 million for cancer research utilizing adult stem cells.
“It’s unclear what utility embryonic cells will have,” said Tramposch. “It will take five to 10 years to see the potential benefits.”
But for people who believe that life begins at conception, the dangers of embryonic stem cell research are obvious and immediate.
Douglas Johnson, a spokesman for the National Right to Life Committee, warned of the creation of “human embryo farms” to supply scientists with the stem cells they want for research.
Obama’s order “places our society on a very steep, very slippery slope,” Johnson said. “Many researchers will not be satisfied to use only so-called surplus embryos.”
Meanwhile, the Rev. Gregory M. Faulhaber, a moral theologian who teaches bioethics at Christ the King Seminary in East Aurora, said: “Certainly we’re disappointed because there have been some good advances in research using adult stem cells, and the use of embryos is destructive of human life.”
Faulhaber also criticized the potential use of federal funding on embryonic stem cell research at a time when government has so many other needs.
Congress will decide exactly how much money ought to go to embryonic stem cell research.
Then-President George W. Bush limited the use of taxpayer money to the 21 stem cell lines that had been produced prior to 2001. Under Obama’s action, federal funding will be available for embryonic stem cell lines that have been created with private funding.
His action leaves in place a separate legislative ban on federal funding for the development of new stem cell lines. Congressional leaders are expected to try to reverse that ban sometime this year.
Despite the outcry from the Christian conservatives, some Republicans — such as Rep. Chris Lee of Clarence—support federal funding for embryonic stem cell research.
“I’ve had friends stricken with multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease, so I know that so as long as [embryonic stem cell research] is done ethically, it gives hope for individuals and families,” Lee said.
Obama coupled his stem cell announcement with release of a memo on “scientific integrity” in which he called on his administration to never allow scientific findings to be distorted or concealed for political reasons.
“Promoting science isn’t just about providing resources, it is also about protecting free and open inquiry,” Obama said. “It is about letting scientists like those here today do their jobs, free from manipulation or coercion, and listening to what they tell us, even when it’s inconvenient — especially when it’s inconvenient.”
Scientists and many Democrats, along with some Republicans, had long criticized the Bush administration not only for limiting stem cell research, but for also letting its political views rather than science guide federal policy on climate change and other issues.
And collectively on Monday, they breathed a sigh of relief.
“For far too long, promising medical research has been put on hold,” said Rep. Louise M. Slaughter, D-Fairport, a trained microbiologist and a congressional leader on science research issues. “At last, accurate science can move forward. I commend President Obama for putting real science at the forefront of his agenda.”
Lee warned, however, that embryonic stem cell research must be strictly supervised and that federal funds should never go to human cloning experiments.
Obama said the same thing.
“We will develop strict guidelines, which we will rigorously enforce, because we cannot ever tolerate misuse or abuse,” Obama said.
“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.”
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