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Originally posted by Radar Rider
This is an excellent opportunity for me. I'm not exactly sure what the whole deal is with stem cell research. If President Bush withholds Federal funding, than so be it. What about private funding? What's the big deal?
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Unless you believe that private money is more ruthlessly profit driven and bereft of moral fiber and integrity than the federal government, then its not a big deal.
The technology and the will are there to do embryonic stem cell research. As a species we are now dealing with how to do this within our ethical framework.
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On August 9, 2001, at 9:00 p.m. EDT, the President announced his decision to allow Federal funds to be used for research on existing human embryonic stem cell lines as long as prior to his announcement (1) the derivation process (which commences with the removal of the inner cell mass from the blastocyst) had already been initiated and (2) the embryo from which the stem cell line was derived no longer had the possibility of development as a human being.
In addition, the President established the following criteria that must be met:
* The stem cells must have been derived from an embryo that was created for reproductive purposes;
* The embryo was no longer needed for these purposes;
* Informed consent must have been obtained for the donation of the embryo;
* No financial inducements were provided for donation of the embryo.
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If an embryo is created for reproductive purpose, is no longer needed for that purpose, informed consent is obtained, and no financial inducements are provided, why are scientists only allowed to use 11 available (distributable) pre-existing cell lines that may at some point lose their ability to be cultured or pluripotency? We are coming back to the definition of life, and the place of faith and government in regulating science and technology. Interesting times.