Umbilical Stem Cells vs. Embryonic Stem Cells

Column for Wired takes Christian Right groups to task for not telling the whole story on the “success rate” for non-embryonic stem cell research.

Sadly, Hwang’s story is just one of many that have been shamelessly exploited during the course of the adult-versus-embryonic stem-cell battle. (Laura Dominguez, Susan Fajt and Christopher Reeve are three other paralyzed individuals whose stories have been similarly exploited by one side or the other throughout the tiresome debate.)

I hope you will forgive my hypocrisy, as I join those who exploit Hwang’s situation. But, in this case, I really don’t think she would mind.

To the Family Research Council’s credit, they immediately corrected their Spinal Cord Injury Treatment Fact Sheet when I told them about the adverse effects of Hwang Mi-soon’s second round of treatment.

While I am sure Hwang appreciates their prompt response, I think she would prefer if the Family Research Council and other groups who used her story to their advantage joined with researchers to finally cure paralysis. Going a step further, I bet she wouldn’t care if the cure came from a non-embryonic source, as long as it gets here.