Stem Cell Research

Stem Cell Research

The issue of research involving stem cells is increasingly becoming a national debate. This issue is talked about every day as scientists wonder if what they are doing is ethical. This issue is also debated in church. Many of the same faith disagree on the subject. Most people find that the more they know about stem cell research, the less certain they are about the morality of the research.

A process called in vitro fertilization helps many couples conceive children. When the doctors put the sperm and egg together to create embryos outside the womb, they usually produce more embryos than are put back in the mother. The additional embryos remain frozen in laboratories. Some do not survive during long storage; others are destroyed. Some have been donated to science and used to create privately funded stem cell labs. A few have been implanted in an adoptive mother and born. Today they are healthy children.

Scientists believe further research using stem cells could lead to the cure of many widespread diseases. Scientists have admitted they are not yet certain, but they believe stem cells that come from human embryos have unique potential.

Stem cells can also come from sources other than embryos including adult cells, umbilical cords that are thrown away after babies are born, and human placenta. Many scientists believe research on these cells is also promising. Many people are already being treated