(Angus Reid Global Scan) - More adults in the United States believe embryos should continue to be used for scientific investigation, according to the Virginia Commonwealth University Life Sciences Survey. 58 per cent of respondents favour medical research that uses stem cells from human embryos, up 11 points since 2003.

Human stem cells come from embryos left over from in-vitro fertilization, which are habitually destroyed. These cells can develop into various tissues in the human body. Some scientists believe the research could be useful in the creation of new organs and in the treatment of diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.

In August 2001, U.S. president George W. Bush cited ethical questions in his rationale to ban federal funding for embryonic stem cell research. In a nationally televised statement, Bush said, "While we're all hopeful about the potential of this research, no one can be certain that the science will live up to the hope it has generated."

In May, the U.S. House of Representatives voted 238-194 to allow federal funding for research performed on stem cells obtained from days-old embryos stored in fertility clinics. A second bill, which seeks to establish a national bank of blood products from umbilical cords available for research and treatment, passed after a 431-1 vote. The two proposed pieces of legislation must be reviewed by the Senate.

On Oct. 21, Republican Pennsylvania senator Arlen Specter said the stem cell legislation would be brought up "as one of the first items next year."

Bush has said he would veto the legislation if it entails "the use of federal money, taxpayer's money, to promote science which destroys life in order to save life—I'm against that."

Polling Data

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