	There is much work to be done to get to the point where people will be able to receive treatment for illnesses though stem cell research. In a way, the U.S. is behind in a sense, because of the Bush Administration’s ban on stem cell research that lasted about 8 years (from 2001 when the ban as made to 2009 when the ban was lifted.) I believe in that 8 years the U.S. has lost a lot of potential, not only time that could have been used finding out how to use stem cells for treatment, but we also have the loss of many scientists who left after the stem cell ban to do research in other counties. We have also wasted time on a small and limited number of stem cell that were ok to use during the ban. Those stem cells were not genetically diverse because they mainly came from Caucasians, and most were contaminated when they were grown on mouse feeder, which at the time it was not known that growing them on this would make a difference. (now it is known that mouse and human stem cells are too different to use interchangeably, because there different proteins levels involved in both.) So because of the stem cell ban, it is not surprising that other counties have had more success with stem cell research, because they have had more time to do more experiments with stem cells.
	In conclusion, I think it is important to catch-up with the other countries involved in stem cell research. Stem cells offer many possibilities to cure diseases and should be used as such. Some oppose stem cell research on the grounds that it is killing what would be future humans. We have learned that this is untrue, because the embryos used are more like a ball of cells then anything else, and they would have been disposed of anyway. The advancements of stem cell research should be able to grow, so the hopes of many patients’ dreams of becoming cured are found.  
