In June, much of the media coverage focused on President Bush's veto of the Senate bill that would have required taxpayer funds for experimentation that destroys human embryos. What the President has accomplished on the issue since then is equally newsworthy. To encourage true research and progress, President Bush issued an Executive Order directing HHS Secretary Michael Leavitt to support projects that pursue "alternatives" to embryonic stem cells. Yesterday, the National Institute of Health (NIH) released its plan called, "Expanding Approved Stem Cell Lines in Ethically Responsible Ways." Considering the latest success stories for adult stem cells, NIH should have no shortage of projects to pursue. At the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, scientists have succeeded in "reprogramming" stem cells from mice testes into a host of tissue types. If the same results occur in humans, these adult stem cells could soon treat everything from brain disorders to heart disease. In Boston, medical researchers have been able to extract adult bone marrow cells and coax them to grow into tissue that can help replace dysfunctional heart valves. As scientist John Mayer emphasized, "These are stem cells derived from bone marrow, [but] they are not embryonic stem cells." At Wake Forest University, researchers have used adult stem cells to "grow" a functioning human bladder. As for the triumphs of embryonic stem cells... well, we're still waiting--but patients don't need to wait with adult stem cells. 
Additional Resources Wake Forest Scientists Discover New Type of Stem Cells
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