Appeals court lifts ban on federal funding for stem cell research

[MathiasOfAthens]

CNN

Great day it is... finally we can study stem cells.

Washington (CNN) -- A federal court has given the Obama administration the go-ahead to continue funding embryonic stem cell research.
The controversial 2-1 decision Friday is a victory for supporters of federally funded testing for a range of diseases and illnesses.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia lifted an injunction imposed last year by a federal judge, who said all embryonic stem cell research at the National Institutes of Health amounted to destruction of embryos, in violation of congressional spending laws.
Legislation passed in 1996 prohibits the use of taxpayer dollars in the creation or destruction of human embryos "for research purposes." Private money had been used to gather batches of the developing cells at U.S.-run labs. The current administration had broken with the Bush White House and issued rules in 2009 permitting those cells to be reproduced in controlled conditions and for work on them to move forward.
Obama officials have been at odds with many members of Congress over whether the the NIH research actually causes an embryo's destruction, as prohibited by the Dickey-Wicker Act.
Two scientists had brought a lawsuit to block further research. But the three-judge panel concluded in their 21-page ruling, "the plaintiffs are unlikely to prevail because Dickey-Wicker is ambiguous and the NIH seems reasonably to have concluded" that the law does not ban research using embryonic stem cells.

[chilon]

About time they lifted this archaic and backwards ban!
thumps up

[Armenum]

Yeah, it's a great development, why should US which is home to some of the world's greatest research universities have such a restriction implemented. It's just stupid and good thing such a backwards restriction was lifted.

[HissingNewt]

Yeah, it's a great development, why should US which is home to some of the world's greatest research universities have such a restriction implemented. It's just stupid and good thing such a backwards restriction was lifted.

Some people believe it encourages abortion somehow. I can fully sympathize with people who don't want that encouraged, but the ban was pretty ridiculous.

[Armenum]

Some people believe it encourages abortion somehow. I can fully sympathize with people who don't want that encouraged, but the ban was pretty ridiculous.

I'm pretty sure the moral justification against stem cell research is rather mind boggling.

[hellheaven1987]

We don't really need embryonic stem cell, however.

Induced pluripotent stem cell

Besides, recent research actually suggest that amniotic stem cells may have even more potention than embryonic stem cell.

[Necromancer]

Good.

Dickey-Wicker.... absolutely sounds like something that needs to be abolished.

This

We don't really need embryonic stem cell, however.

Induced pluripotent stem cell

Besides, recent research actually suggest that amniotic stem cells may have even more potention than embryonic stem cell.

That's what I've heard, as well. It gives all the more reason for fundies to jump onboard.

[chamaeleo]

It appears I've been mistaken: the Dickey-Wicker Act does not mandate that male, Federal employees must wear undergarments to work? Good news, indeed!

[Sphere]

The ban is still in place, its just that the Obama administration is trying to change the policy that interprets Dickey-Wicker as prohibiting NIH funds going to research on new stem cell lines (akin to bateria cultures) which were first created by destroying embryos at privately funded research labs.

I.e. have the actual destroying of embryo's occur in a private lab but allow goverment labs to buy the resulting stem cells and grow them.

But the end game here has to be the repeal of Dickey-Wicker all together. Its immoral, inefficient and backwards.

[hellheaven1987]

But the end game here has to be the repeal of Dickey-Wicker all together. Its immoral, inefficient and backwards.

Well, personally I think we should ban all embryonic stem cells research, private or public fund.

[Kurtz]

Stem Cell research is evil because it makes Jesus cry.

[Admiral Piett]

Dickey-Wicker.... absolutely sounds like something that needs to be abolished.

[Sphere]

Well, personally I think we should ban all embryonic stem cells research, private or public fund.

I think striving to prevent the pain and suffering of my fellow human beings is a noble goal, worthy of both private and public efforts.

The embryo's needed for research lack even a single nerve cell. By placing the protection of their existence on the same level as that of a person who can experience great pain and suffering, you are taking a very immoral stance.

[hellheaven1987]

I think striving to prevent the pain and suffering of my fellow human beings is a noble goal, worthy of both private and public efforts.

Harvest stem cells by killing human embryo, you mean?

Besides I already point out an alternation that works better with better result than embryonic stem cells.

[Sphere]

Harvest stem cells by killing human embryo, you mean?

Besides I already point out an alternation that works better with better result than embryonic stem cells.

It's immoral to dilute the protections we grant conscious beings, which can experience great ranges of emotions, by extending them to literally clumps of 50-150 undifferentiated cells.

A flies brain contains 100,000 nerve cells. With your line of thought, how can we possibly say killing a child is worse than killing a fly? I can easily say why killing a child is much worse than killing a fly, but you cannot. That is why my stance is moral, and yours deeply immoral.

[nameless]

I'm pretty sure he was just pointing out that there are far more effective methods in stem cell research that doesn't involve destroying human embryo cells which would take the research off any religious issue.

If I recall correctly they can also use umbilical cord cells (which are discarded anyways so might as well use them) and recently they have found they can re-program skin cells into blood.

IMO the original ban seems to be a good thing in a way that it forced the scientists to look for alternate ways around it and not only have they found them but these are much more effective.

[HissingNewt]

If I recall correctly they can also use umbilical cord cells (which are discarded anyways so might as well use them) and recently they have found they can re-program skin cells into blood.

That's correct. Umbilical cords have stem cells that are usable.

[(s)AINT]

Good. I have about 50 frozen fetuses that can now be used to advance man kind.

[Sphere]

I'm pretty sure he was just pointing out that there are far more effective methods in stem cell research that doesn't involve destroying human embryo cells which would take the research off any religious issue.

I am here to take the religious issue off the table by pointing out how immoral it is. Appeasement on the subject is not acceptable to me.

[MathiasOfAthens]

Its legal for women to have embryos implanted in them and the rest discarded but its illegal for those embryos that would otherwise get discarded be used for scientific purpose.