Facts & Myth

Unless otherwise note, information presented in this section is derived from material created by the Genetics Policy Institute (www.genpol.org).

MYTH: Adult/tissue stem cells, stem cells derived from placentas and stem cells from umbilical cords, have led to 72 different treatments.

FACT: Opponents of research with human embryonic stem cells frequently make this claim, which originates from a list created by Dr. David A. Prentice, an employee of the Family Research Council who advises those who disagree with embryonic stem cell research. Dr. Prentice often refers to sources that he says prove the value of adult/tissue stem cells as treatments for at least 65 diseases. However, these claims have been discredited in a scientific study by Shane Smith, William Neaves, and Steven Teitelbaum published in the journal Science (Adult stem cell treatments for diseases? July 13, 2006). They found that much of Dr. Prentice's footnoted documentation was based on uncorroborated anecdotal reports and non-scientific sources. In fact, the scientists said, nine diseases have been proved to respond treatment with adult /tissue stem cells and agree that this research should continue.

To see the full list of illnesses and treatments published in Science, click here.

MYTH: Cloning is cloning is cloning. It's all the same.

FACT: All cloning is not the same. According to the Coalition for the Advancement of Medical Research (CAMR), scientists do many kinds of cloning every day, most of which is commonly accepted cloning and just means making a copy. It has allowed scientists to develop powerful new drugs and to produce insulin and useful bacteria in the lab. It also allows researchers to track the origins of biological weapons, catch criminals, and free innocent people.

There's a world of difference between reproductive cloning — something that should be banned— and therapeutic cloning, also known as somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT), CAMR notes. Therapeutic cloning is the transplanting of a patient's own DNA into an unfertilized egg in order to grow stem cells that could cure devastating diseases. Reproductive cloning is the use of cloning technology to create a child. The Genetics Policy Institute, along with leading scientists, the National Academies of Science, the International Society for Stem Cell Research, and most Americans, oppose reproductive cloning.

MYTH: SCNT will never cure any diseases — it holds no hope for medical research. 

FACT: SCNT holds great promise for treating and curing patients by creating tailor-made, genetically identical cells that won't be rejected by the patient's body. In fact, proof of principle for SCNT has been established in published research on disease in mice [March 2002 issue of Cell ].

Many of the most debilitating diseases and conditions are caused by damage to cells and tissue. When combined with stem cell research, SCNT could be used to develop new and innovative treatments — such as replacement cells and tissue — that allow organs to function again and restore hope to millions of families, according to the Coalition for the Advancement of Medical Research (CAMR). SCNT is also integral to improving scientists' understanding of how human embryos and stem cells develop. This new knowledge could speed the search for new treatments — and possibly cures — for some of the most complex diseases that plague our society. In particular, SCNT could allow researchers to move stem cell research to a new level, developing stem cell therapies that are specifically tailored to an individual's medical condition. Moreover, SCNT could help scientists develop stem cells that will not be attacked and destroyed by the body's immune system. This holds particular promise for patients who suffer from diabetes, heart disease, and spinal cord injuries.

MYTH: Therapeutic cloning is a slippery slope that leads to reproductive cloning. There is no dividing line between the two forms of cloning.

FACT: Therapeutic cloning produces stem cells, not babies. With therapeutic cloning , there is no fertilization of the egg by sperm, no implantation in the uterus and no pregnancy. Dr. Harold Varmus, the former head of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and a Nobel laureate, says there is a profound distinction between cloning with the intent of making a human being and research cloning to help understand and treat life-threatening diseases and conditions. Implantation into a womb is the clear, bright line that divides reproductive and non-reproductive technologies. Without implantation, no new human life is possible. This is where society can and must draw the line, according to the Coalition for the Advancement of Medical Research.



MYTH: There are more than enough stem cells for research already. Plus, adult/tissue stem cells are more promising than embryonic stem cells.

FACT: We do not have enough stem cells for research, according to the Coalition for the Advancement of Medical Research (CAMR). There are only a limited number of National Institutes of Health (NIH) approved embryonic stem cell lines available to government supported researchers and not enough to proceed at full pace with extensive research into treatments and cures.

There certainly are not enough to turn research into treatments. Adult/tissue stem cell research shows promise in some areas and should be pursued. However, our nation's top scientists, the National Institutes of Health, and the National Academy of Sciences all agree that embryonic stem cells have advantages over adult/tissue stem cells because they are "pluripotent" (can make any cell in the body) and can be grown in a lab apparently indefinitely.