Stem cell research has the potential to affect the lives of millions of people in the United States and around the world. This research is now regularly front-page news because of the controversy surrounding the derivation of stem cells from human embryos. Realizing the promise of stem cells for yielding new medical therapies will require us to grapple with more than just scientific uncertainties. The stem cell debate has led scientists and nonscientists alike to contemplate profound issues, such as who we are and what makes us human beings. The excitement and controversy surrounding stem cells caused the National Research Council’s Board on Life Sciences and the Institute of Medicine’s Board on.
