Reverses Bush administration ban on funds for embryonic research
SYRACUSE -- President Barack Obama followed through on a campaign promise and signed an executive order Monday reversing the federal restrictions on funding for embryonic stem cell research. "Rather than furthering discovery, our government has forced, what I believe, is a false choice between sound science and moral values." the President said in a signing ceremony.
Because embryonic stem cells have the ability to morph into any cell in the body, many scientists feel they could hold the key to finding cures or treatments to a myriad of diseases includng diabetes, Parkinson's and Alzheimers.
At Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, Doctor Gerold Feuer uses human stem cells in mice to study how a virus leads to adult t-cell leukemia. He says his work is limited because he can only use adult stem cells. Now that President Obama has opened the door, Feuer intends to use embryonic stem cells and expects to see better results. As for the moral issue regarding such research, Feuer says the embryos would be thrown away anyway. "Most scientists don't really see the logic in allowing those embryos to be thrown away but not being used for therapeutic uses, not being used to establish new cell lines."
Scott Auwarter sees the scientific debate over embryonic stem cell research through the eyes of Christianity. He teaches science at the Faith Heritage School in Syracuse. Though he understands the potential benefits of stem cell research, Auwarter believes life begins at conception. "When the egg and the sperm come together, it is an individual with rights as an individual. So to destroy that for research, I find to be morally wrong."
Auwarter feels scientists should exhaust research using adult stem cells. Only when that research reaches a "dead end" should scientists begin the debate over using embryonic stem cells.
