(This piece represents my views only and does not reflect the views of Education Minnesota.)
President Obama today (March 9) lifted the limits on federal funding for embryonic stem cell research, offering a glimmer of hope to millions of families and their loved ones and providing scientists more tools to find cures for Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, diabetes, cancer and perhaps spinal cord injuries.
This decision is eight years overdue. In 2001, former President Bush limited federal funding to the existing 60 stem cell lines. As it turned out there were only about a third of those lines available. Scientists and families of victims have argued for years that the restrictions have impeded research unnecessarily and have delayed progress in fighting these catastrophic diseases. Recognizing the moral issues involved, they also point out that stem cells are taken from embryos that would have been abandoned by couples seeking in vitro fertilization and would have been discarded in the process.
When the House and Senate passed legislation in 2006 to overturn President Bush's limitations, the bill provided that the embryos must be donated by couples who have no financial incentive.
In that debate and subsequently, stem cell research has had both conservative and liberal backing. Former First Lady Nancy Reagan, whose husband suffered from Alzheimer's, supported it, as did Utah Sen. Orin Hatch, a Republican. And former Republican Sen. John Danforth, an Episcopal priest, said, "It is not evident to many of us that cells in a Petri dish are equivalent to identifiable people suffering from terrible disease."
President Bush used his first veto to stop the legislation and Congress did not have the votes to override the veto.
For 25 years, my wife Ann has suffered from the ravages of Type I diabetes (insulin dependent). She has serious eye problems, neuropathy (lack of feeling) in her legs, heart problems, seizures and was on kidney dialysis for a year. She is now doing better thanks to kidney and pancreas transplants.
President Obama's action on stem cell research will not undo my wife's suffering. But it may help millions of other patients and families around the country who have been waiting eight years for this decision. Because embryonic stem cells are capable of developing into any type of cell, scientists believe they might be able to provide tissues to replace worn-out organs or cells that don't function. This research may lead to cures for many dreaded debilitating diseases.
In the absence of federal funding for stem cell research, some states, notably California, have created their own funds. But federal support is critical for this and most other scientific research.
President Obama's action is a small, but important step in the right direction. He made his case in an even-handed way, noting the ethical issues involved. He said that the majority of Americans "have come to a consensus that we should pursue this research; that the potential it offers is great, and with proper guidelines and strict oversight the perils can be avoided."

This action will save lives and provide hope to millions of people and their families who face the grim reality of living with a crippling illness.