Annotated Bibliography - Embryonic Stem Cell - Federal Funding

1) Park, Alice. "Ruling Halts Federal Funding of Embryonic-Stem-Cell Research." Time.com. 24 Aug. 2010. Web. 12 Apr. 2011. <http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,2013042,00.html>.

2)  Shortly after President Obama took office, he loosened the restrictions on government funding of human embryonic stem cell research.   Although, on Aug 23 2009, a federal judge declared that the stem cell research is off limits for being funded by tax dollars.  He said that it violates a 1996 law.  Scientists viewed the ruling as a "step backward" in stem cell research.   Dr. Elaine Fuchs , a professor at Rockefeller University and president of the International Society for Stem Cell Research , said "The court decision threatens to impede progress in regenerative medicine in our country."  Researchers are resulting to only use privately funded equipment for stem cell research at this time.

                The 1996 law prohibits  federal dollars from being used that would support  any studies "in which human embryos are created, destroyed, or discarded or knowingly subjected  to risk of injury or death."   In 1999, Harriet Rabb, counsel for the Department of Health and Human Services, determined that human embryonic stem cells that are derived from embryos are not the same as embryos and are therefore immune to the federal funding cuts.   A court said that questions was whether or not an embryo was destroyed as a result of the process of embryonic stem cell research.  They ruled that the taking of the stem cells did in fact result in the death of the embryo.

3)  This article is relevant to my topic because it explores some of the political aspects of embryonic stem cell research, specifically federal funding.

4) "The court decision threatens to impede progress in regenerative medicine in our country. It must be challenged as quickly as possible."  Dr. Elaine Fuchs

"The registry, along with Obama's decision in March 2009 to allow taxpayer dollars to be used to study any existing embryonic-stem-cell lines that meet NIH ethical guidelines, is allowed even in the face of Dickey-Wicker because of a 1999 ruling by Harriet Rabb."