We were all little embryos once

IT is very disappointing that the governing body of my alma mater, UCC, has voted to allow research on embryonic stem cells.

One of the principal arguments in favour of this research is that it offers great hope of cures for those suffering from diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. This is an emotionally manipulative argument. It is well documented that far superior clinical benefits are offered by adult stem cell research, which is ethically uncontroversial.

Recently a conference in Dublin heard about the use of adult stem cells in reducing the damage to heart tissue among patients who had suffered a heart attack. The stem cells used were obtained from the patient’s bone marrow.