Recent News & Commentary

“The sooner we stop wasting precious resources on embryonic stem cell research the sooner we will have stem cell cures for the people who really matter in all of this - the patients.”  Dr. Peter Hollands, the Chief Science Officer of the UK Blood Bank and early pioneer of embryonic stem-cell research  --  read more

Two Types of Stem Cells are Not Equal

The subject of stem cell research can become confusing.   To reduce this confusion, clarity is needed between two types of stem cell research. 

Stem cell research that uses adult stem cells, and stem cells found in umbilical cord blood, is completely ethical and has already led to successful, experimental treatments on human subjects.  These initial successes have provided benefits to patients for a variety of heart problems, spinal cord injuries, lupus, leukemia, diabetes, stroke, and Parkinson's disease, among others.

On the other hand, embryonic stem cell research requires the killing of embryonic human beings to obtain their stem cells.  Additionally, proponents of embryonic stem cells also favor human cloning as the envisioned means to obtain compatible stem cells for individual patients once some type of treatments can be achieved.   Currrently, no successful treatments using embryonic stem cells have been attempted on human subjects.  Researchers admit that they are many years away from experimental treatments on human subjects. 

Private investment sources have recognized the potential exists with adult and cord blood stem cells so funds for experimentation that kills embryonic humans and attempts human cloning have dried up.

Defenders of human life are not opposed to ethical stem cell research using adult stem cells and stem cells from umbilical cord blood, but they are strongly opposed to killing human embryos and human cloning as means to provide stem cells for medical treatments.

The following articles provide more details on some of the basic issues involved in stem cell research:

Stem Cell Research Summary