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**Non-controversial Treatments**

**Adult stem cell treatments are not yet commonplace, but nearly every
month more studies are published showing the usefulness and potential of
adult stem cells. Many adult stem cells are even pluripotent. While most
of these treatments are still experimental, unlike embryonic stem cells,
adult stem cells do not involve the destruction of embryos or the
creation of embryos for the purpose of destroying them. [Moreover, they
are already being used in human applications.]{.underline}**

**Pluripotency**

**Advocates of embryonic stem cell research would like the American
people to believe that only embryonic stem cells are pluripotent. In
fact, last year on the House floor Rep. Diana DeGette said "They \[cord
blood stem cells\] cannot be used to be made into other types of stem
cells that can cure other types of disease besides blood-related
diseases."**

Unfortunately Rep. DeGette is misinformed. Many adult stem cells are
pluripotent and can form all three germ layers. Pluripotent adult stem
cells can be found in many parts of the body including dental pulp, bone
marrow, cord blood and even fat cells. Moreover these pluripotent adult
stem cells have been used in human applications for a variety of
disorders that are not blood-related diseases such as Krabbe disease and
cerebral palsy.

**Treatments**

**Advocates of research that requires killing embryos tout potential
cures from embryonic stem cells and are unrealistically leading the
American public to believe that embryonic stem cell treatments are
around the corner.**

While any potential treatments from embryonic stem cells are decades
away at best, patients are being treated today with experimental adult
stem cell treatments. These are human patients who are beginning to reap
the benefits of the cells already in their bodies or are available
through donations such as those from umbilical cord blood. Above are
photos of patients who have received adult stem cell treatments for
severe heart disease, osteopetrosis and spinal cord injury.

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**Tumor Formation and Rejection**

**Embryonic stem cells have the capacity to grow and reproduce rapidly,
but that same tendency causes them to form tumors. Moreover, unless
researchers clone embryos for research---something they have yet to do
successfully---embryonic stem cells bearing the genetic traits of the
destroyed embryo rather than the patient will be rejected by the
patient's own body.**

Conversely, some adult stem cells are not as likely to form tumors. In
cases where a patient can be treated using his or her own stem cells
from places like their bone marrow, nasal mucosa, dental pulp or even
fat, the patient will have no rejection issues whatsoever.

**25 Years of Embryonic Stem Cell Research**

**Some policy makers and advocate have argued that embryonic stem cells
lag behind adult stem cells because they were just recently
discovered.**

While embryonic stem cells were first isolated in humans in 1998,
embryonic stem cells were *discovered* 25 years ago. And animal
research---which is still not safe or effective enough to be translated
into human applications---has been ongoing for a quarter of a century.

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