Emergence and Development of Stem Cell Research Paper

Emergence and Development of Stem Cell - Research Paper Example Two main sources of stem cells include embryos during the early phase of embryonic development and adult stem cells. Interestingly, opposition to stem cell research is not uniform for embryonic and adult stem cells. Most of the regulations across the world are supportive of adult stem cell research but varies hugely for embryonic stem cell research. For instance, in the United States, stem cell research on studies proposing to use animal sources of adult stem cells, embryonic stem cells or embryonic germ cell lines do not have any restrictions and are federally funded, unlike human embryonic stem cell (hESC) research (Downing, 2003). 3.1. Emergence and development of stem cell research: In the US, many Christian groups protested President Bush’s initial decision regarding research on human embryonic stem cells, which resulted in forbidding further research on research. Though this consoled the priests and other religious figures in the US, this decision also received much oppo sition from other religious groups within the US and other parts of the world. Although religious groups expressed satisfaction over the President’s decision to withdraw support for research on hESCs, they also detested manipulation of existing stem cells for research purposes (Petersen, 2003). Research ethics concerned with ESCs are mostly about the method of deriving healthy human embryos and their moral status during early stages that carry different views in different religions (McLaren 2007). These differences have been the reasons for most of the ethical debate about ESC research. 3.2. Restrictions and limitations on stem cell research: After President Bush passed the bill on hESC research in 2001, funding restrictions were also imposed on this aspect as part of his campaign promise made to the citizens of the US that their money would not be used for stem cell research purposes (Stolberg, 2001). As a reaction to this, states like California, Connecticut, Illinois, Iowa , Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York enacted independent funding systems (Frost & Sullivan, 2008). Regulations imposed on hESCs and adult stem cells are different in different countries. The policies on hESC research in the United States are more liberal, like that of Germany, Spain, France, and Canada; but the policies in the United Kingdom, China, Japan, and Israel are even more liberal than that of the United States (Herring, 2006). Evidence of the amount of research indicates that adult stem cell trials have been more successful in most of the countries that encourage and support stem cell research. Outcomes of these researchers on adult stem cells have been applied to treat many diseases, birth defects, cancers, severe heart-related issues etc (Herring, 2006). This evidence only indicates the extent of advancement in adult stem cell research and application in various countries across the world.