Globally, scientists are turning to stem cell research as the most promising step to curing many of the harshest diseases and conditions including cancer, Alzheimer’s, stroke, paralysis and many more. Stem cells are useable as a replacement for damaged cells because of their self renewing properties. Their form allows them to act as other types of cells and regenerate as a substitute for the affected cells or as a way of testing new medications. Stroke related disabilities alone account for more than 1.2 million people and millions more are impacted by other cell related disabilities making stem cell research an essential pursuit in order to make strides in medicine (Cunningham 368).
However, the success of researchers has been limited as the
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Though technology at some point will likely make this possible, “human cloning is scientifically distant at best” and “the scientific community has universally condemned it” (Acost and Golub 429). Without the support of the possible creators of this technology, there is no way that this would ever come about, and it remains irrelevant to the known information about the benefits stem cell research would have on the world of healing medicine.
At the center of the controversy lies politics and the continuous battle between being supportive of the research and respecting the beliefs of American groups. Starting in 1995, legislation took on the topic of stem cell research by creating the Dickey-Wicker Amendment. This amendment declared that no government funding would go towards anything that results in or could cause the destruction of embryos.
A few years later, President Clinton asked the NBAC (National Bioethics Advisory Commission) to create an overview of stem cell research as well as an overall opinion on the morality. After discussing, the NBAC declared public support for the research and also advocated for researchers’ ability to use cell lines from embryos left over from infertility