New From The Century Foundation Basics Series

June 2006, New York City—Proposals to use human embryonic stem cells for medical research have provoked intense social and political debate over the proper use of new scientific technologies. While public debate has focused largely on the acceptability of research using human embryos, this is only one of the many issues raised by stem cell research. If stem cell technologies—and the new human biotechnologies more generally—are to overcome political resistance by being seen as promoting rather than compromising human well-being, an informed public must fully engage in the debate over their proper development and use.

In an effort to help inform this debate, The Century Foundation has published Stem Cells and Public Policy— a guide to the issues. This is the newest publication in The Century Foundation’s series, The Basics.

Stem Cells and Public Policy provides a concise, comprehensive overview of the implications of stem cell research for the development for public policy. It addresses critical questions related to stem cell research including the establishment of medical research priorities, the treatment of intellectual property rights, the role of religious and scientific institutions and the effective national and international governance of the burgeoning field of biotechnology.

Stem Cells and Public Policy was written by Richard Hayes of the Center for Genetics and Society in collaboration with Pete Shanks and Marcy Darnovsky, under the direction of Leif Wellington Haase, health care fellow at The Century Foundation.

The Century Foundation’s Basics series offers readers a clear, succinct summary of essential facts about important policy issues and unbiased assessments of strengths and weaknesses of reform proposals in the news. These guides are important resources for legislators, journalists, students, and the general public who want the facts and analysis without the rhetoric. Other titles in this series include Public Policy in an Aging America , The USA Patriot Act, Social Security Reform, and Medicare Reform. These and other guides in the Basics series can be downloaded from The Century Foundation Web site at www.tcf.org.

For more information about Stem Cells and Public Policy or other publications in the Basics series, contact Christy Hicks at hicks@tcf.org or (212) 452-7723.For information related to health policy, visit our website Health Policy Watch (www.healthpolicywatch.com).

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