Steven Holt: “today, the House will again pass legislation to support humane and potentially life-saving embryonic stem cell research.…”

“today, the House will again pass legislation to support humane and potentially life-saving embryonic stem cell research. I am a cosponsor of this essential legislation to increase the number of embryonic stem cell lines that can be used to conduct federally funded research to search for cures for a number of diseases such as diabetes, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's, ALS, multiple sclerosis, and cancer. The opponents of this legislation say that we should pursue alternative avenues for research, such as adult stem cells, cord blood cells, and amniotic fluid cells. And they are correct; we should investigate each one of them. Yet, that is not a compelling reason to block researchers from pursuing embryonic stem cell research, which experts agree holds the greatest potential because of the pluripotent nature of the cells. As a research scientist, I understand that we will only understand the true value of each of these cell types when the research is done. That is why it is essential that we pass this bill and make more embryonic stem cell lines available for exploration.”