A recent announcement by biotechnology company Geron that it has repaired heart-attack damage in rats with human embryonic stem cells may have given its stock a big boost, but some people aren’t buying it.
Aside from the obvious ethical issue of destroying human life to improve the health of rodents, some are calling the announcement intentionally misleading. More than two dozen studies in professional publications, some as long as four years ago, have demonstrated the promise of adult stem cells – which do not involve the destruction of a human life – in treating heart disease.
“It's unfortunate that Geron's CEO, Tom Okarma, felt the need to blatantly misrepresent the field of stem-cell research in order to advance his company's work in destructive embryonic stem-cell research,” said Dawn Vargo, associate analyst for bioethics for Focus on the Family Action.
“This research required the destruction of young human embryos in order to experiment on rats suffering from heart attacks. In sharp contrast, noncontroversial adult stem cells are being used to treat patients suffering from heart ailments in more than 100 clinical trials.”
