The purpose of this paper is to introduce, discuss, and analyze the topic of medical research in the United States. Specifically it will discuss stem cell research and its relationship to ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease). Stem cell research, although highly debated in the US, should be made available in the country to enhance the quality of life by providing research, government funding, and quality physicians. .

             Just what exactly is stem cell research? Stem cell research is one of the fastest growing areas of medicine, because it holds so much potential for medical breakthroughs. One doctor said, "It is not unrealistic to say that stem cell research has the potential to revolutionize the practice of medicine. -Dr. Harold Varmus, former NIH director" (Best & Kellner, 2004, p. 214). Basically, stem cells can be reproduced in the laboratory, and these stem cells can be used to help fight a variety of diseases, as well as understand how diseases affect the human body and how cells reproduce and change. Stem cells themselves are basic body cells. Authors Best & Kellner note, "Stem cells are the primitive master cells of the body that differentiate into functions like skin, bone, nerve, and brain cells (the body produces over 200 cell types)" (Best & Kellner, 2004, p. 215). These master cells come from several sources, and that is where much of the controversy surrounding stem cell research begins.

             Why is stem cell research so controversial? The main reason the process is so controversial is because of where researchers obtain the cells they need for research. Many come from the frozen embryos of fetuses that were aborted, or were created in the lab. The Bush Administration has effectively banned funding for this type of stem cell research, and many religious groups are against it too, for moral and ethical reasons. Many people believe that it is a right-to-life issue, and that embryos, no matter how they are obtained, should not be used.