Most Americans Favor Stem Cell Research

Nearly two-thirds of Americans support federal funding for stem-cell research, according to a recent poll commissioned by the Juvenile Diabetes Research

Foundation International (JDRF).
This high level of public approval is significant because the incoming Bush administration is debating whether or not to halt government funding for such research, which often involves the use of human embryos.
Medical researchers believe that human stem cells can be developed into replacement cells to cure diseases such as diabetes, Parkinson s Alzheimer s, cancer, heart disease, arthritis, burns, or spinal cord problems.The most promising type of stem cells are found in human embryos, which have the ability to give rise to many different types of cells in the human body. Researchers hope to harness the cells and use them to replace those damaged by variety of different illnesses.
In a survey conducted in mid-January, 2001, more than 1,000 individuals were asked whether they favor or oppose the funding of stem cell research by the National Institutes of Health. The participants were told that stem cells are collected from excess human embryos developed through in vitro fertilization and fetal tissue that has been donated to research.
About 33% of the respondents said they strongly favor the funding and an additional 33% said they somewhat favor the funding, survey results indicate. Nine percent said they don t know.