Obama reversed the Bush Administration's ban on Embryonic stem cell research, effectively freeing Federal funds for experiments that use them. There is a list of grave ailments; including Diabetes, and neurological conditions; including paralysis, that now may one day be cured because of this legislative victory.
McCain, the Republican presidential candidate in 2008, opposed this type of research.
The embryonic stem cells, or, (ES) cells, that originally came from humans, were banned. They were obtained from embryos; hence the term embryonic. The cells are of critical importance to researchers due to their ability to be grown indefinitely without losing their property of pluripotency.
Pluripotency is the ability to differentiate into cells of all three germ layers.
According to an article in Cell, it is possible that the human (ES) cells could some day be used to treat Parkinson's Disease and spinal cord injuries and diabetes.
Link to article in Cell.
"Embryonic stem (ES) cells are derived from totipotent cells of the early mammalian embryo and are capable of unlimited, undifferentiated proliferation in vitro." -Science.
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