Recent Developments in Stem Cell Research: Social, Ethical, and Legal Issues for the Future

On February 12, 2009, Professor Skene delivered the George P. Smith II Lecture at the Indiana University Maurer School of Law.

“While Americans might decide to limit ‘halfway’ or exotic, sciencefiction inspired technologies, such as artificial hearts or brain transfers into robot bodies, it would appear unlikely they would ever approve limitations on medical research whose focus is to discover technologies, drugs and scientific techniques which not only maintain qualitative existence but extend life.” Professor George P. Smith II. 1

Introduction

In March 2009, President Obama signed an Executive Order reversing President Bush’s Order limiting the types of human embryonic stem cells that can receive federal funding for research. Many people believe this Order signals a new era in this research. However, it is only the first step towards allowing federal funding for American scientists to do the types of embryo research that are allowed in some other countries. Also, science moves at varying speeds and the focus moves quickly from one type of stem cell research to another. At the time of writing, embryonic stem cell research is moving more slowly, due partly to reports of an unregulated stem cell procedure in Moscow [End Page 211] causing a young Israeli boy to develop tumors, and partly to new developments in research deriving stem cells without forming embryos. However, embryonic stem cell research may again advance, especially with the increased funds that are expected to become available for it. This paper suggests that if embryonic stem cell research—or any other aspect of stem cell research—ultimately produces effective treatments for human health care, it will receive broad community support, even if there have been earlier reservations about the research has have led to the new treatments.