Why is stem cell research important?
Stem cell research holds great promise for relieving human disease and suffering. Because stem cells are the source of all tissues of the body, understanding how they develop and work will give us a fundamental understanding of human biology in health and in sickness. In addition, stem cells may be a renewable source of replacement cells that could be used to treat a variety of diseases and disabilities. Adult stem cells already have been used to develop effective treatments. For example, cancer patients who have repressed immune systems as a result of chemotherapy may receive a bone marrow transplant (BMT) that can regenerate the patient’s blood and immune systems. BMTs have been successfully performed since 1970. Embryonic stem cell research, which only began in 1998, provides insight into the origin of disease and may lead to more effective treatments for serious human ailments such as juvenile diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, ALS, cancer, heart failure and spinal cord injuries. Scien
