Obama to overturn Bush policy on stem cells

[Nagishkaw 510]

WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama is ending former President George W. Bush's limits on using federal dollars for embryonic stem cell research, with advisers calling the move a clear signal that science — not political ideology — will guide the administration.

Obama was to sign an executive order on stem cells and memo on science Monday in an East Room ceremony, a long-promised move that would fulfill a campaign promise. Advisers said it was part of a broader declaration on science that would guide the administration's policies on matters ranging from renewable energy to climate change.

"I would simply say this memorandum is not concerned solely — or even specifically — with stem cell research," said Harold Varmus, chairman of the White House's Council of Advisers on Science and Technology. He said it would address how the government uses science and who is advising officials across federal agencies.

Bush limited taxpayer money for embryonic stem cell research to a small number of stem cell lines that were created before Aug. 9, 2001. Many of those faced drawbacks. Hundreds more of such lines — groups of cells that can continue to propagate in lab dishes — have been created since then. Scientists say those newer lines are healthier and better suited to creating treatments for diseases, but they were largely off-limits to researchers who took federal dollars.

"We've got eight years of science to make up for," said Dr. Curt Civin, whose research allowed scientists to isolate stem cells and who now serves as the founding director of the University of Maryland Center for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine. "Now the silly restrictions are lifted."

The proposed changes do not fund creation of new lines, nor specify which existing lines can be used. They mean that scientists, who until now have had to rely on private donations to work with these newer stem cell lines, can apply for government money for the research, just like they do for studies of gene therapy or other treatment approaches.

At the same event, the president planned to announce safeguards through the National Institutes of Health so science is protected from political interference.

"We view what happened with stem cell research in the last administration is one manifestation of failure to think carefully about how federal support of science and the use of scientific advice occurs," Varmus said.

Embryonic stem cells are master cells that can morph into any cell of the body. Scientists hope to harness them so they can create replacement tissues to treat a variety of diseases — such as new insulin-producing cells for diabetics, cells that could help those with Parkinson's disease or maybe even Alzheimer's, or new nerve connections to restore movement after spinal injury.

Bush and his supporters said they were defending human life; days-old embryos — typically from fertility-clinic leftovers otherwise destined to be thrown away — are destroyed for the stem cells.

The long-promised move will allow a rush of research aimed at one day better treating, if not curing, ailments from diabetes to paralysis — research that has drawn broad support, including from notables such as Nancy Reagan, widow of the late Republican President Ronald Reagan, and the late Christopher Reeve.

The move also will highlight divisions within the Republican Party, now in the minority and lacking votes in Congress to stop Obama.

Rep. Eric Cantor, the No. 2 Republican in the House, said the focus should be on the economy, not on a long-simmering debate over stem cells.

"Frankly, federal funding of embryonic stem cell research can bring on embryo harvesting, perhaps even human cloning that occurs," he said Sunday on CNN's "State of the Union." "We don't want that. ... And certainly that is something that we ought to be talking about, but let's take care of business first. People are out of jobs."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090309/ap_on_...bama_stem_cells

[NickD 202]

Wish Bush had a kid where the only hope is stem cell research. Other arguments, is that it is going to be done anyway by different countries, and all are free with our patent system to apply for and receive US patents, meaning they will have the opportunity to clean up on us. But maybe that is exactly what Bush wanted because he has shown a much greater allegiance to foreign countries than he has shown to us. Think they have a word for that and believe it's called being a traitor.

Oh, and if you plan on having kids, do a thorough medical background check on your intended spouse, most of this tragic diseases or afflictions are hereditary.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

The right decision I think - I was pretty disgusted with Bush's shameless grandstanding on the issue (as he did with other "culture of life" issues).

[LaL 418]

The right decision I think - I was pretty disgusted with Bush's shameless grandstanding on the issue (as he did with other "culture of life" issues).

[NickD 202]

The right decision I think - I was pretty disgusted with Bush's shameless grandstanding on the issue (as he did with other "culture of life" issues).

You mean like watching what your kids are watching on TV? Family values?

No, I would not like to share a beer with Bush, but a foxhole? Hell yes.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

The right decision I think - I was pretty disgusted with Bush's shameless grandstanding on the issue (as he did with other "culture of life" issues).

You mean like watching what your kids are watching on TV? Family values?

No, I would not like to share a beer with Bush, but a foxhole? Hell yes.

Again - may I ask what that "you mean like..." has to do with what I wrote?

Point: I was disgusted with Bush's blatant political grandstanding over culture of life issues (stem cell research and the Terry Schiavo case).

[NickD 202]

The right decision I think - I was pretty disgusted with Bush's shameless grandstanding on the issue (as he did with other "culture of life" issues).

You mean like watching what your kids are watching on TV? Family values?

No, I would not like to share a beer with Bush, but a foxhole? Hell yes.

Again - may I ask what that "you mean like..." has to do with what I wrote?

Point: I was disgusted with Bush's blatant political grandstanding over culture of life issues (stem cell research and the Terry Schiavo case).

Okay, Mr. Daniels, that, which you mentioned, and a whole bunch of other irrelevant issues.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

All of these things are relevant to someone - hence the controversy.

In this case - the people who would benefit from potential stem-cell treatments, Vs. the religious establishment (that Bush pandered towards).

[HAL 9000 96]

[NickD 202]

All of these things are relevant to someone - hence the controversy.

In this case - the people who would benefit from potential stem-cell treatments, Vs. the religious establishment (that Bush pandered towards).

Since this is not my line of work, difficult for me to make a moral, but understand that some stem cell research involves a zygote.

"A zygote (from Greek ζυγωτός zugōtos "joined" or "yoked", from ζυγοῦν zugoun "to join" or "to yoke")^[1] is a cell that is the result of fertilization. That is, two haploid cells—usually an ovum from a female and a sperm cell from a male—merge into a single diploid cell called the zygote (or zygocyte). A zygote is the first cell of a new unique organism that has DNA from the mother and father. A zygote begins as a fertilized egg (ovum), and contains all of the genetic information (DNA) necessary to become a baby; half of that information is from the mother’s egg and half from the father’s sperm that has fertilized the egg. The organism in the zygote stage of life travels down the fallopian tube, while dividing to form a larger group of cells.^[2] This cell division is mitotic, and is known as "cleavage".^[3] All mammals go through the life stage of being in the zygote stage of life. After this life stage the organism goes through the life stages of an embryo, and a fetus. A human zygote exists for about four days, and becomes a blastocyst on the fifth day.^{http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zygote#cite_note-3}

One could speculate further that zillions of sperm and eggs die every microsecond and is this also the start of life? It's my understanding using the zygote is only one form of stem cell research, but the only form that is morally questionable. In a human, that zygote does have a path to complete that also never finishes naturally, so dies anyway.

Is it immoral to take a doomed sperm and drop that into a doomed egg to gain some scientific knowledge? Isn't it even a zillion times more immoral to kill a fetus that has a beating heart and fingernails? Bush had no problem with that.

Is it immoral to use some device from keeping the sperm from entering an egg during sexual intercourse? Just about everybody is doing that. Sexual intercourse is considered a very important part of marriage, but economics dictates, you just can't have one kid after another.

How is this for being immoral, only giving parents a couple of cents break in taxes per day if they have a kid.

[HAL 9000 96]

Every stem cell prep I've worked on doesn't even involve any zygotic/embryonic tissue.

I am celebrating this 'victory' over the limitations of imposition though.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

I think that there are new techniques that can remove stem cells without destroying the embryo, but given that the embryo probably won't be implanted anyway - I'm not sure why the issue was presented by the old administration as being indistinguishable from abortion. Seems about as far apart as its possible to get...

[HAL 9000 96]

I think that there are new techniques that can remove stem cells without destroying the embryo, but given that the embryo probably won't be implanted anyway - I'm not sure why the issue was presented by the old administration as being indistinguishable from abortion. Seems about as far apart as its possible to get...

Because you are talking about a collection of people that have a tendency to not pay much attention in science class.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

You see I don't think that's the case - which is why I find it reprehensible.

None of those people are "stupid" or uneducated (in the general sense), they simply saw more political advantage in taking the stance of religious ideology stance over the pragmatic one: never mind the people suffering from rare genetic diseases who could benefit from potential treatments, it was simply a touchstone issue to consolidate a base of voter support.

[HAL 9000 96]

You see I don't think that's the case - which is why I find it reprehensible.

None of those people are "stupid" or uneducated (in the general sense), they simply saw more political advantage in taking the stance of religious ideology stance over the pragmatic one: never mind the people suffering from rare genetic diseases who could benefit from potential treatments, it was simply a touchstone issue to consolidate a base of voter support.

Oh I'm not calling them any less intelligent as a collective than anyone else... just simply that if they had any actual memory or understanding of what it was they imposed upon all others in society, they likely would not have done so. Even with the religious undertone... that should be ironically focused on helping humans live better, fruitful lives. Quite honestly its rather bizarre.