In 1996, Congress passed legislation for what was considered "needless research" of embryonic stem cell activities. This ruling surely came as a delight to scientists seeking grants from the National Institute of Health (NIH). Those who are pro-life and others who see this work as immoral or ineffective will be disappointed, and will seek other remedies to circumvent the Supreme Court action.
President Obama rescinded the Bush policy and asked for the Department of Health and Human Services to craft ethically responsible guidelines that would lead to more government-funded embryonic stem cell research. The new regulations permitted researchers to use stem cells from frozen human embryos, donated for research by couples who were using fertility clinics. This action created immediate court challenges and counters, which led through various decisions ending on the steps of the U.S. Supreme Court. The lawsuit, Sherley v. Sibelius, revolved around the 1996 Dickey-Wicker amendment, which prohibits taxpayer funding for research that destroys, discards or harms a human embryo. The law has enabled private companies, which do not take federal funds, to become leaders in embryonic stem cell research.
The Supreme Court's ruling will allow federal funding to flow for researchers in embryonic stem cell research for the foreseeable future. Many scientists believe embryonic stem cells can be manipulated in ways that will cure such maladies as spinal cord injuries and Parkinson's disease. Read more on this significant development.