In a nutshell, stem cell research gives us a clear understanding of how the body develops, grows and regenerates, all the way from the embryo to retiree. With stem cell research we can better understand the medical issues that surround fertility, aging, cancer, organ breakdown, and death.

Over and over, we hear stem cell research being quoted in the newspapers and on TV as the possible cure for things like heart disease, diabetes, Parkinsons, and Alzheimers. Though certainly these are obvious advantages of stem cell researche, the deeper more profound issue is actually the understanding of what it is to be a living and breathing and developing human being.

Stem cell research in its purest application, is not about embryonic stem cells, or adult stem cells or even more targetted cord blood research and regenerative medicine. These are subsets of the related technologies. The key to this type of research, in my opinion, is the understanding of how the body works. Its not about debates, or ethics .. as again, these are simply dicussions of procedures. I would like to leave that discussion in the hands of the ethicists and doctors.

Additionally, most of us if we counted on the news that comes out of the medical field, from informed doctors, hospitals, and medical research universities that the medical field is right on top of things in regards to human biology. Now consider that the study of stem cells only started a few years ago should tell one that all the most studied and learned of medical professionals are simply scratching the surface of human biology.

Likely I will try and sit down and illustrate the other advantages of stem cell research in very specific terms. I just wanted to make sure that it is clear why we write about it here, and what fascinates us in the field as a whole.