June 13, 2012
Sometimes, you need to call 'em like you see 'em.
That's what Dr. Wesley Smith, an ally of FRC who has appeared on Tony Perkins' webcast on health reform, has done in his new article, "Fat Stem Cells into Bone Casts Light on Advocates Lies."
As he documents in his piece, too often proponents of embryonic stem cell (ESCR) research do what small children do when caught in a fib - they just "make stuff up." Yet ESCR champions are still given visibility and credibility by those in the media, government, and academia for whom ethical limits on scientific research are not boundary-markers but legalistic inconveniences.
That's sad, both because of its moral dimensions for nascent human persons - embryos - and for the caliber of honest scientific and political debate in our country. As Dr. Smith says, "Reasonable people can differ about ethical issues. But, if we are to have reasoned debates, the public must be told the truth. Too often in the ESCR and animal rights debates ... that doesnt happen."
It's also regrettable because as the hard science repeatedly demonstrates, ethical adult stem cell research works. Earlier today, what some are calling a "breakthrough for arthritic knees" was described in the Australian publication Body and Soul:
The treatment is called fat-derived stem cell therapy. It supports the regeneration of joint and tendon disease by harvesting adult stem cells from the patient's own fat specifically adipose tissue, found in the abdominal region. The cells are injected into the affected area to replace lost or damaged cells, reducing inflammation and encouraging the repair and regrowth of healthy tissue. Although fat-derived stem cell therapy is still in its infancy, early results indicate it may lead to cartilage regeneration, delaying the need for joint replacement by 10 or 20 years and possibly, if the disease is treated at the early stage, stop its progression altogether.
FRCs Dr. David Prentice has advanced adult stem cell therapies with courage and energy for years. You can read more about his efforts and view FRCs videos on ethical adult stem cell treatments that unlike ESC treatments actually work at Stem Cell Research Facts.