“I am happy to say that we now have human embryonic stem cell lines eligible for use by our research community under our new stem cell policy,” said the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director, after tax dollars were approved to fund a study for 13 batches of master stem cells, according to FoxNews.com

Now, stem cell research has financial backing in an effort to try and develop new medical procedures, including paralysis treatments.

Our firm’s San Diego paralysis attorneys believe this is good news, especially for those living with paralysis and looking for ways to cure their spinal cord injuries.  While our lawyers and staff don’t take an ethical stand one way or another on the issue of stem cells, we are encouraging to see our leaders and the medical industry working together to find a cure for paralysis.

In addition to funding, the NIH also had to determine which lines, out of the hundreds of stem cell lines already made up, were ethical to use.  Many stem cell lines had been collected from during fertility treatments.  The decision decided the course of where $21 million of taxpayer money went so that any variety of paralysis could, in theory, be cured.  Currently, 96 batches are being studied, and 13 batches are ready to go out to medical facilities where they can be used to help those with paraplegia and quadriplegia recover.

“In accordance with the guidelines, these stem cell lines were derived from embryos that were donated under ethically sound informed consent processes,” the director said.  “More lines are under review now, and we anticipate continuing to expand this list of responsibly derived lines eligible for NIH funding.”

While our firm’s paralysis attorneys in San Diego continue to wait with everyone to see if all the hard work and research has paid off, they do want to see more programs like these funded with tax dollars.  How many injuries and diseases could cured if the government took a bigger initiative at helping its citizens’ maintain their health?  Perhaps stem cell research will prove to not be effective at all and maybe there won’t be any miracle solution to spinal cord injuries, but the fact that the leaders of our federal government are looking out for us is hopefully a sign that more good things are coming in the future.

If you or a loved one have been involved in an accident and suffered a spinal cord injury or paralysis, we urge you to contact our bilingual offices as soon as possible following the accident at 1-858-551-2090 or please click here for a free consultation with an experienced paralysis lawyer in San Diego.  We handle all cases on a contingency fee basis, which means that you owe us nothing until we recover money on your behalf.

Your Take

Why do you think the government and the taxpayers should fund research studies, like the one for stem cells mentioned above?