Ontario, California in stem cell deal

Students for Life is against embryonic stem cell research, but not against stem cell research in general. Of course not! Adult stem cells have provided many cures and treatments for serious disease without any moral questionable practices, compared to the destruction of embryos for research that has led to absolutely no reliable medical cures or treatments with embryonic stem cells.

After 20 years of research, there are no approved treatment or human trials using embryonic stem cells. Their tendency to produce tumors and malignant carcinomas, cause transplant rejection, and form the wrong kinds of cells are just a few of the hurdles that embryonic stem cell researchers have been unable to overcome.

From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stem_cell with sources:

• The Heritage Foundation, Federal Stem Cell Research: What the Taxpayers Should Know, May 24, 2005
• Life Issues Institute, Embryonic Versus Adult Stem Cells? It’s Really No Contest

Embryonic stem cells have not yet been used for even one therapy, while adult stem cells have already been successfully used in numerous patients, including for cardiac infarction (death of some of the heart tissue)

It is remarkable that in the debate–often carried on with little competence–the potential of embryonic stem cells is exaggerated in a one-sided way, while important moral questions and issues of research strategy are passed over in silence.

From The Case for Adult Stem Cell Research

Over the weekend, Ontario and Calfornia announced a deal to boost stem cell research, embryonic and possibly adult stem cell research. What drives me insane is that none of the major news outlets even attempt to distinguish between the two when reporting on the story! Here’s what CTV had to say:

U.S. President George Bush and most of Schwarzenegger’s other Republican colleagues are opposed to stem cell research because embryos are destroyed in the research process.

McGuinty to ink stem cell deal with Schwarzenegger

Clearly, an attempt to paint those opposed to embryonic stem cell research as anti-science and anti-progress, when there is no attempt to even mention in passing any of the moral or ethical questions involved in embryonic stem cell research, or any of the serious obstacles to finding effective embryonic stem cell treatments compared to the huge successes in recent years with the uncontroversial adult stem cells.

Think free! Do your research! (Wikipedia, though not guaranteed to be accurate, is a great starting point with scientific links to dig deeper into the matter: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stem_cell)

Adult stem cells offer us great promise for medical advances, for cures and treatments without ethically questionable practices! The distinction is an important one.