Legislation Would Ban Creation of Embryos as Source for Stem Cells


by Bill Fancher and Jody Brown

(AgapePress) – A GOP-sponsored bill addresses the need for an ethical method for obtaining stem cells for research and medical treatment.

New Jersey Republican Chris Smith has introduced a bill which would provide more money for stem cell research while banning the creation of human embryos in order to obtain their stem cells. Smith says there are many ways to get stem cells, and more is being learned almost daily.

“There's even been reports that stem cells are procured from fat cells, which almost sounds ludicrous on its face but [it] really is a silver bullet,” Smith says. “Hopefully if we put enough money into the research and have carefully … conducted studies that [are] well coordinated by [the National Institutes of Health] and by the private sector … we can achieve breakthroughs.”

The Republican has called for $30 million additional dollars to be spent on stem cell research, provided human embryos are not used as a source for those cells. Those embryos are destroyed afterwards, and Smith says there is no need to kill the unborn for research. He says his bill would help efforts in stem cell research via ethical means.

“This legislation would set up a bank at the NIH that would be charged with collecting adult stem cells from umbilical cords and cord blood and other sources,” he says. “These stem cells would then be available to researcher on the front lines, and they would be available to be matched with people who need to be treated with stem cells.”

One Florida-based company specializes in preserving the umbilical cord blood of newborns. The founder of Cryo-Cell International has asked the President and the Congress to encourage the use and storage of umbilical cord blood.


(This update courtesy of Agape Press.)

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