Survival of mankind depends on embryonic stem cell research by scientists

Human embryonic stem cell research (hESC) has been described as "paramount to the survival of mankind" and the "quantum leap" to boost healthcare in the near future.

Jason Gruner, founder of Stem Cell Media LLC, said the work that scientists do in this field is something that many people misunderstand.

"If the general lay person can be educated [about] where the embryos come from and how they are derived, I think that the acceptability of human embryonic stem cell research would be widely accepted. Misinformation has led to a lot of half-truths of that nature [based] upon ideological views," he added.

Mr Gruner went on to say that many people have a misconception that embryos used by scientists are coming from abortion clinics, but this "could not be farther from the truth".

In the US, a district court judge is soon expected to rule on whether federal guidelines about hESC funding make it more attractive to destroy embryos, according to The-Scientist.com.