Crib Sheet: Stem Cells

Hailed as a possible cure for everything from Parkinson’s, paralysis and the injustice of aging, stem cells often sound like the miracle pills of the future—that is if we can ever get past the ethically divisive issues raised by their production and use. Conservatives have called for a ban on further research into their therapeutic uses because stem cells are typically harvested from blastocysts—which have the potential to become fetuses. To learn more about how stem cells are harvested, what their cultural ramifications are and where much of the research involving them takes place, view or download the Cribsheet.