Stem Cell Now

October 24, 2005
What is all the fuss over embryonic stem cell research? What is a stem cell anyway? And how does an adult stem cell differ from the more controversial embryonic stem cell? For those who are really in a muddle about this heated topic, Scott, director of Stanford's Program in Stem Cells and Society, lays out the issues in a clear and politically neutral fashion. He begins with the basics of cell division and works his way up to explaining the potential benefits of stem-cell research: how they might replace damaged organ and nerve tissue, and cure diabetes and other grave illnesses. Scott lays out the odds that adult stem cells, which don't involve the use of embryos, will ever be able to do as much as the more versatile embryonic stem cells. The author also evenhandedly addresses the political and ethical controversies that swirl around this research. This book is illuminating reading for everyone who wants to understand a hot-button topic that will dominate the political, medical and religious arenas for years to come. B&w illus.