Stem Cell Research: Who Should Fund It?
Published by Advantages and disadvantages of different forms of funding for stem cell research.
Stem cell research is a very hot topic for many reasons. The economic upsides and downsides to stem cell research were investigated. New jobs could potentially be created in the research and development fields. Jobs could be lost in the pharmaceutical industries that are treating diseases that could potentially be cured with stem cell technology. Huge amounts of money could be saved in healthcare costs in the event of a breakthrough in stem cell research. There are several other economic upsides and downsides to stem cell research.
Federal funding and private investment are two additional forms of funding that seem to be viable options for stem cell research. Unfortunately there are still problems that the federal government and private investors face that lead to limited funding. Federal funding is affected by the ethical dilemmas that surround stem cell research. Many of the ethical problems with stem cell research surround the means by which embryonic stem cells are obtained; there is a lot of controversy about when an embryo becomes a life. Many methods for obtaining embryonic stem cells pose the ethical dilemma of when human life begins. Some people believe that the stage that isolating embryonic stem cells involves ending a human life. The federal government has created restrictions that stem cell research must follow in order to be eligible for federal funding as discussed in the video. Stem cell research must use human embryonic stem cells derived from cell lines established prior to August 9, 2001. There are some dilemmas that private investors face when considering funding stem cell research. Many private investors fear funding stem cell research because of its deep entanglement with politics. Private investors’ main fears are that the stem cell research field could become illegal before any benefits could arise from their investments. Although there are many people that stand to lose from stem cell research, there are just as many or even more who could benefit.
It has become evident that there are industries that could lose economically from advances in stem cell research as well as those that could gain from it. In most cases, those who stand to lose economically from advances in stem cell research are larger corporations, the government and private investors. Those who stand to gain from stem cell research are the general public that spends trillions of dollars on healthcare every year. Unfortunately, the few groups that are more likely not to benefit from stem cell research are also those that are more powerful and influential.
More On Stem Cells
Advances in Stem Cells Affects on Jobs
Stem Cells and Pharmaceutical Companies
More Science Articles
Flagellar Regeneration in Chlamydomonas
A Look at the NDC 80 Protein Complex
Grignard Reduction to Make Alcohols
Liked it
