Because it involves the destruction of days-old human embryos, stem cell research has sadly become yet another flashpoint in Americaâ??s cultural war over abortion.
Thatâ??s exasperating, because stem cells have vast potential for treating and even curing devastating illnesses and injuries. Because they can develop into any kind of human tissue, they could conceivably be used to regenerate severed spinal cords and diseased hearts, heal Parkinsonâ??s disease, and restore insulin-secreting â??isletsâ? to diabetic pancreases.