Researchers at University Hospital in Munich, Germany, say they soon may be able to use umbilical-cord blood to repair defective hearts in babies.
The research was presented Monday to the American Heart Association.
"In our concept, if prenatal testing shows a heart defect, you could collect blood from the umbilical cord at birth, harvest the stem cells and fabricate a heart valve that is ready when the baby needs it," said Dr. Ralf Sodian, who led the study.
Sodian's research provides further evidence that life-destroying embryonic stem-cell research is unnecessary. Yet, President-elect Barack Obama is expected to move quickly to expand taxpayer-funded embryonic research by reversing a pro-life order from President Bush.
— Devon Williams
