Stem Cells

Our country has gotten itself twisted up into a real pretzel over embryonic stem cell research. I'm far from an expert, but here's what I understand so far:

• Stem cells contain the building blocs for all manner of human tissue. In theory, stem cells have the potential to be nurtured to grow into heart, liver or other organ cells; they can perhaps serve to create cells that are destroyed during cancer treatments or replace sells that are ravaged by degenerative diseases. All of this will take massive amounts of research, some of it requiring active government support, and most of it requiring at least passive acceptance by the federal government.
• There are at least three sources for stem cells: there are adult stem cells harvested from living patients, placental stem cells, harvested from placentas that are routinely discarded after childbirth and embryonic stem cells, from human embryos.
• Research is farthest along on adult stem cells. Results are promising, but the cells themselves are not as versatile as embryonic cells.
• Embryonic cells have captured the excitement of researchers all over the world, but the ethics of using human embryos for experiments troubles a lot of people. The Bush administration has prohibited federal funding for such research, and has threatened to veto any legislation altering that position.
• Research on embryonic stem cells is ongoing in other countries, and many of America's best scientists are going overseas to continue their work.
• Research on placental stem cells has just begun, and they may prove an ethical alternative to embryonic stem cells.

I think most Americans would agree that creating a human embryo for the purpose of conducting medical experiments is just flat wrong. However, as a practical matter, there are thousand, if not millions of embryos in fertility clinics all over the country. Could one, or even some, of these embryos be implanted into women who might then give birth? Certainly. Would all, or even a significant number of them have that result? Not a chance in hell.

So, what becomes of these embryos? Do we destroy them? Is that murder? Do we continue to keep them indefinitely in cryogenic storage, and what are the moral implications of that? Are we beyond questioning whether fertility clinics should "create" "extra" embryos while trying to help a childless couple conceive?

Do you see why we're all going nuts over this matter?

My working premise, subject to change if more facts develop, is that, if the owners of the embryo (this would be the male and female who provided the sperm and egg) consent, that embryo may be used for medical research.