HighBeam Research - Newspaper archives and journal articles
Options
Cancel changes
Follow us:
  • Subscription benefits
  • Log in
  • Sign up for a free, 7-day trial
  • Publications
  • Research topics
  • Topics home
  • People
    • Artists and Entertainers
    • Company executives
    • Historical figures
    • Politicians and Government officials
    • World Leaders
  • Issues and Events
    • Health and Medicine
    • Historical Events
    • Religion and Theology
    • Science and Technology
  • Places
  • Organizations
  • A-Z
    • A-G
    • H-O
    • P-T
    • U-Z
    • 0-9
  • Publications home
  • Journals
    • Academic journals
    • Business journals
    • Education journals
    • Math and Engineering journals
    • Medical journals
    • Science and Technology journals
    • Trade journals
  • Magazines
    • Business magazines
    • Computer magazines
    • Education magazines
    • Industry magazines
    • Lifestyle magazines
    • Medical magazines
  • Newspapers
    • International newspapers and newswires
    • Reports, newsletters, and transcripts
    • U.K. newspapers
    • U.S. newspapers and newswires
  • Reference works and books
    • Almanacs
    • Dictionaries and thesauruses
    • Encyclopedias
    • Non-fiction books
  • Subscription benefits
  • Log in
  • PUBLICATIONS HOME
  • Journals
    • Academic journals
    • Business journals
    • Education journals
    • Math and Engineering journals
    • Medical journals
    • Science and Technology journals
    • Trade journals
  • Magazines
    • Business magazines
    • Computer magazines
    • Education magazines
    • Industry magazines
    • Lifestyle magazines
    • Medical magazines
  • Newspapers
    • International newspapers and newswires
    • Reports, newsletters, and transcripts
    • U.K. newspapers
    • U.S. newspapers and newswires
  • Reference works and books
    • Almanacs
    • Dictionaries and thesauruses
    • Encyclopedias
    • Non-fiction books

Home » Topics » Politicians and Government officials » Barack Obama » Barack Obama: Stem Cell Research

  • Print

Barack Obama: Stem Cell Research

By Rene Agredano For more information, see: Barack Obama
  • Permalink

    Create a link to this page

    Copy and paste this link tag into your Web page or blog:

    <a href="https://www.highbeam.com/topics/barack-obama-stem-cell-research-t10039" title="Barack Obama: Stem Cell Research - Pictures, News and Articles - HighBeam Research">Barack Obama: Stem Cell Research - Pictures, News and Articles - HighBeam Research</a>

  • RSS

    Your RSS feed has been created

    If your RSS reader did not automatically grab the feed, you can copy and paste the URL below into your RSS reader.

    http://services.highbeam.com/rss/HBR/Barack+Obama+Stem+Cell+Research?sort=dt&sortdir=d

Soon after Obama's order to allow federal funding for embryonic stem cell research, the National Institute of Health granted funding for research on about 128 new stem cell lines, an increase of 107 lines over the 21 that qualified during the Bush-era ban.

Overview

Stem cell research is the scientific practice of harvesting and utilizing human cells from human embryos, umbilical cords, placentas, bone marrow or even human fat. This practice holds promise for eventually curing human diseases, birth defects and injuries. However, the process of obtaining stem cells is controversial because the most ideal stem cells are derived from human embryos, namely those being destroyed via abortion. In 2001, President George W. Bush enacted legislation prohibiting the use of federal funds for embryonic stem cell research, but in 2009, President Barack Obama overturned the executive order and granted permission for federally-funded scientists to continue studying the curative uses of embryonic stem cells in humans.

History

Stem cells are used for many medical procedures such as bone marrow transplants, which use stem cells to regenerate healthy marrow in cancer patients. Stem cell research became worldwide news in 1997 when a sheep named Dolly was cloned from an adult sheep's stem cells. As debate about the ethics of cloning living beings ensued, scientists gained more knowledge about the restorative powers of stem cells. They discovered that human embryos were the best source of stem cells because these cells can change into any type of cell in a human body, but stem cells derived from non-embryonic sources, such as skin or marrow, are believed to be pre-programmed and only capable of turning into duplicate cells from their original source. As a stem cell performs its normal function of constantly reproducing itself, the offspring from the original stem cells are known as a "line" and can continuously be used indefinitely for additional research.

The heart of stem cell research controversy lies in how embryonic stem cells are obtained; from fertilized eggs left over from in-vitro fertilization (IVF) procedures. Although scientists can only use one to six day-old fertilized eggs for this procedure and only with the consent of the IVF patient, many religious people have moral objections against this research, since it requires destruction of an embryo in order to obtain a small clump of stem cells no larger than the head of a pin.

Soon after Dolly's birth, U.S. lawmakers fought against stem cell research and cloning of all life forms. In 1995 President Bill Clinton enacted the Dickey-Wicker Amendment which prohibited the destruction of human embryos for scientific research. Six years later, President George W. Bush attempted to reach a compromise on the controversy by banning the use of federal money for embryonic stem cell research on lines obtained after 2001. Throughout the next eight years, embryonic stem cell researchers were only able to obtain money from private and state sources to fund their research. Without federal support from the National Institute of Health, embryonic stem cell research waned.

Present Day

When Illinois Senator Barak Obama ran for the presidency in 2008, he promised to lift the ban on embryonic stem cell research if he was elected to office. Less than one year into his term as U.S. president, Obama fulfilled his campaign promise and signed an executive order lifting the ban on embryonic stem cell research.

Obama explained his decision by stating "Rather than furthering discovery, our government has forced what I believe is a false choice between sound science and moral values. In this case, I believe the two are not inconsistent 'the majority of Americans' have come to a consensus that we should pursue this research. That the potential it offers is great, and with proper guidelines and strict oversight, the perils can be avoided. That is a conclusion with which I agree."

Obama advocated for embryonic stem cell research while attempting to appease opponents by approving rigorous standards that researchers must meet before receiving federal dollars. For example, all federally-funded projects using embryonic stem cells must show documented proof that the fertilized eggs used for their research came from donors who gave their written consent for this type of work.

Soon after Obama's order to allow federal funding for embryonic stem cell research, the National Institute of Health granted funding for research on about 128 new stem cell lines, an increase of 107 lines over the 21 that qualified during the Bush-era ban.

In July 2011, a two year court battle led by individuals who sought to overturn Obama's executive order was settled when U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth upheld the decision to allow federal funding for embryonic stem cell research.

Obama's decision remains controversial and two years after giving his executive order, federal funding for stem cell research projects is far greater for projects that utilize stem cells derived from developed, non-embryonic stem cell sources. In the two years following Obama's order, 59 embryonic stem cell research projects were denied funding.

Read more

Related articles in the news

Experts Alarmed That Trump Has No Science Adviser

The Boston Globe (Boston, MA); February 14, 2018

Experts Alarmed That Trump Has No Science Adviser
CAMBRIDGE — When the Ebola virus began sweeping through West Africa four years ago, killing thousands of people and threatening to spread beyond the continent, President Barack Obama turned to his science adviser for optionsempty bPresidents before him have sought the counsel of White House science…

From the archive

PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA DELIVERS REMARKS ON STEM CELL RESEARCH

Political Transcript Wire; March 9, 2009

PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA DELIVERS REMARKS ON STEM CELL RESEARCH
PRESIDENT OBAMA DELIVERS REMARKS ON STEM CELL RESEARCH MARCH 9, 2009 SPEAKER: PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA OBAMA: Thank you so much. Well, I'm excited too. (LAUGHTER) Today, with the executive order I am about to sign, we will bring the change that so many scientists and researchers, doctors and…
PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA'S REMARKS ON STEM CELL RESEARCH AS PREPARED FOR...

Political Transcript Wire; March 9, 2009

PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA'S REMARKS ON STEM CELL RESEARCH AS PREPARED FOR DELIVERY
PRESIDENT OBAMA'S REMARKS ON STEM CELL RESEARCH AS PREPARED FOR DELIVERY, AS RELEASED BY THE WHITE HOUSE MARCH 9, 2009 SPEAKER: PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA OBAMA: Today, with the Executive Order I am about to sign, we will bring the change that so many scientists and researchers; doctors and…
Days after President Barack Obama lifted limits on federal funding of...

MondayMorning; March 23, 2009

Days after President Barack Obama lifted limits on federal funding of human embryonic stem cell research this month, the Oklahoma State House passed a bill introduced by Republican representative Mike Reynolds that would make much of such work illegal in his state.
Days after President Barack Obama lifted limits on federal funding of human embryonic stem cell research this month, the Oklahoma State House passed a bill introduced by Republican representative Mike Reynolds that would make much of such work illegal in his state. "I absolutely believe that if the…
Elsewhere, President Barack Obama lifted some restrictions on federal...

MondayMorning; March 16, 2009

Elsewhere, President Barack Obama lifted some restrictions on federal funding of human embryonic stem-cell research last week.(Medical Stock Spotlight)(Brief article)
Elsewhere, President Barack Obama lifted some restrictions on federal funding of human embryonic stem-cell research last week. The decision reverses one by former president George W. Bush that restricted the use of federal funds for research using stem cells from human embryos, with the exception…
President Obama lifts stem-cell research restrictions; Catholics are in...

Conscience; March 22, 2009

President Obama lifts stem-cell research restrictions; Catholics are in support.(The Church and Bioethics)(Brief article)
ON MARCH 9, 2009, us President Barack Obama lifted many of the restrictions on embryonic stem-cell research imposed by the Bush administration. The US bishops immediately denounced the measure as "a sad victory of politics over science and ethics." However, as an overwhelming majority (63 percent)…

Find all articles about this topic

Related topics

  • George W. Bush: Stem Cell Research
  • Company
  • About us
  • Subscription benefits
  • Group subscriptions
  • Careers
  • Privacy policy
  • Terms and conditions
  • Contact us
  • Help topics
  • FAQ
  • Search tips
  • Using the Research Center
  • Billing questions
  • Rights inquiries
  • Customer Service
  • Cengage Learning Network
  • Questia
  • CengageBrain.com
  • HighBeam Business
  • ed2go
  • MiLadyPro
  •  
HighBeam Research
Follow us:

HighBeam Research is operated by Cengage Learning. © Copyright 2018. All rights reserved.

The HighBeam advertising network includes: womensforum.com GlamFamily