Why do many people object to using embryonic stem cells for therapy or research?
Human embryonic stem cells are derived from among the 30 to 35 cells in the inner cell mass of a five-day-old blastocyst selected from the excess embryos typically discarded during in vitro fertilization. Because the integrity of the embryo is compromised, this process essentially kills it. Many religious people and some bioethicists object that this constitutes killing a potential human being. Researchers counter that these embryos would have been destroyed anyway, while the stem cell that lives on has the potential to improve the lives of millions directly through therapy and indirectly through research. A common additional objection to the use of embryonic stem cells is that their promise is just that: promise. They argue that money used to support embryonic stem cell research could be better spent on proven therapies, including even adult stem cell therapy. Research, however, is essential to the discovery or perfection of new treatments, even in adult stem cell therapy: recent stud
