Abstract
Stem cell research has entered the public consciousness through the
media. Proponents and opponents of all such research, or of human embryonic stem
cell research specifically, engage in heated exchanges in the modern public forum
where stakeholders negotiate, the agora. One common claim that emerges from the fray
is that a particular type of stem cell research should be pursued as the most promising
path toward the reduction of suffering and untimely death for all of humanity. Upon
evaluation, experimental data regarding the potential role of stem cells in regenerative
therapies for three conditions—spinal cord injury, type 1 diabetes, and cardiovascular
disease—tell distinct, complex, and inconclusive stories. Further analyses in this article
incorporate realistic considerations of a broad range of relevant factors--limited funding
for biomedical research, media motives, the discordance hypothesis of evolutionary
medicine, the relationship between religion and science, medical care in developing
nations, and culture wars over abortion. Holistic investigation inspired by the current
agora conversation supports the need to drastically change interactions regarding stem
cell research so that its potential to benefit humanity may be more fully realized.