The debate surrounding embryonic stem cell research began in the late 1990s when University of Wisconsin researcher James Thomson first isolated the human stem cell. In the initial process, stem cells â?? some of which have potential to become any kind of cell in the human body and thus hold great potential for curing diseases such as Alzheimerâ??s and Parkinsonâ??s â?? were extracted from a human embryo, destroying it in the process.
Office of Strategic Communication