http://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/obama_stem_cell/2009/02/15/182144.html?utm_medium=RSS Obama Ready to Lift Ban on Stem Cell Research Sunday, February 15, 2009 10:46 AM
WASHINGTON – U. S. President Barack Obama will soon issue an executive order lifting an eight-year ban on embryonic stem cell research imposed by his predecessor, President George W. Bush, a senior adviser said on Sunday. "We're going to be doing something on that soon, I think. The president is considering that right now,"Obama adviser David Axelrod said on Fox News Sunday. In 2001, Bush limited federal funding for stem cell research only to human embryonic stem cell lines that already existed. It was a gesture to his conservative Christian supporters who regard embryonic stem cell research as destroying potential life, because the cells must be extracted from human embryos. Embryonic stem cells are the most basic human cells which can develop into any type of cell in the body. Scientists believe the research could eventually produce cures for a variety of diseases, including Parkinson's disease, diabetes, heart disease and spinal cord injuries. Obama vowed to reverse Bush's ban during his presidential campaign and in his inaugural address last month promised to return science to its proper place in the United States. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration last month cleared the way for the first trial to see if human embryonic stem cells could treat people safely. The trial will try to use stem cells from existing lines to regrow nerve tissue in patients with crushed spinal cords. Stem cells are the body's master cells, giving rise to all the tissues, organs and blood. Embryonic stem cells are considered the most powerful kinds of stem cells, as they have the potential to give rise to any type of tissue. ? 2009 Reuters. All rights reserved. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Stem Cell Research: An Islamic Perspective The position of Shari’ah on stem cells research according to majority of our scholars. By Dr. Muzammil H. Siddiqi http://www.crescentlife.com/wellness/stem_cell_research_islamic_perspective.htm The Islamic View On Stem Cell Research By Michele Weckerly www-camlaw.rutgers.edu/publications/law-religion/new_devs/RJLR_ND_56.pdf Stem cells, through a religious lens | HarvardScience Harvard Stem Cell Institute and Harvard Divinity School hold panel discussion ... Panelists at the event, representing Christianity, Judaism, and Islam ... http://www.harvardscience.harvard.edu/culture-society/articles/stem-cells-through-a-religious-lens Institute of Islamic Understanding Malaysia :: IKIM http://www.ikim.gov.my/v5/index.php?lg=2&opt=com_article&grp=2&sec=&key=900&cmd=resetall Federal Funding for Stem Cell Research? http://www.islamonline.net/english/Views/2001/08/article6.shtml Karima-DDN --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
