Millions of people die every year from diseases and accidents; the evening news is full of reports about the devastating effects of cancer, horrific accidents and disasters that leave people disfigured or paralyzed. Embryonic stem cell research is part of biomedical science and has the potential to alleviate the suffering of sick people by curing diseases and abnormalities, creating organs and tissues for patients requiring transplants or skin grafts , by regenerating axons from spinal cord injuries and creating new treatments. , medicines and vaccines. However, the US government does not support this research to the extent that could make a difference in medicine; only a few stem cell lines are licensed, and federal funding is minimal. The government should support embryonic stem cell research by educating the public, increasing federal funds, and easing restrictions. » 2007). Since then, research has evolved into obtaining cells from various tissues. According to stem cell research professors Ariff Bongso and Eng Hin Lee (2005), “stem cells are unspecialized cells in the human body that are capable of becoming cells, each with new specialized functions” (p. 2). Stem cells are found in various adult tissues, such as bone marrow, liver, skin, central nervous system, and eyes. They are also found in other sources, such as fetuses, umbilical cords, placentas, embryos, and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), which are adult tissue cells reprogrammed to pluripotency. Most stem cells offer multipotent cells, which are sparse...... middle of paper ......y - complete and unabridged 10th edition. Retrieved April 28, 2011, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary .reference.com/browse/therapeutic cloningWebb, S. (2009). Stem cell research suffers from lack of federal funding. In A.Francis (Ed.), In question. Should the government fund embryonic stem cell research? Detroit: Greenhaven Press. (2009). (Reprinted from, nd) (Reprinted from Science Magazine, September 22, 2006) Retrieved from http://padme.cochise.edu:2067/ic/ovic/ViewpointsDetailsPage/ViewpointsDetailsWindow?displayGroupName=Viewpoints&prodId=OVIC&action=2&catId=&documentId=GALE% 7CEJ3010587207&userGroupName=sier28590&jsid=67271fc8c381f89007dff41cfd3813e6What are embryonic stem cells? [Stem cell information]. (September 13, 2010). Home page for NIH stem cell information. Retrieved April 14, 2011 from http://stemcells.nih.gov/info/basics