[siunevada]

Washington Post correspondent Rick Weiss, has blown the lid off of the scam, reporting that while useful abstract information might be gleaned about Alzheimer's through embryonic stem cell research, "stem cell experts confess . . . that of all the diseases that may be someday cured by embryonic stem cell treatments, Alzheimer's is among the least likely to benefit.".

Just my feeble memory and not an accurate recitation of the current state of research, but....

I seem to recall that umbilical and even adult stem cells seem, according to the experimental evidence so far, to be more potentially useful than embryonic stem cells.

My memory of the popular press accounts only.

[Shryke]

Thanks!

[PhiKapMom]

Thanks for posting that -- that was my understanding as well.

What some unethical researchers have done to Nancy Reagan and others to give them false hope about using embryonic stems cells is very wrong. Those scientists that have touted embryonic stem cells as a cure all IMHO are nothing more than pro-abortion supporters and sound like snake oil salesmen!

[supercat]

I seem to recall that umbilical and even adult stem cells seem, according to the experimental evidence so far, to be more potentially useful than embryonic stem cells.

That's my recollection, and it would seem to make a lot of sense. Among other things, a certain portion of embryos are apt to have critical and severe defects; most such defects will prove fatal before the embryo develops into a birthable baby. Thus, if a baby is born, that suggests that it is genetically viable and any stem cells from it (e.g. from the umbilical cord) are apt to work as they're supposed to. By contrast, embryonic stem cells are "untested" and may have defects that would cause them to malfunction very badly.