A leading British medical journal has published an editorial warning against the "hype" surrounding recent advances in stem cell research. The editorial notes that at a recent public debate in London, experts predicted that safe and effective treatments for diseases were at least a decade away. The Lancet's warning is the latest attempt by medical experts -- including many who support embryonic stem cell (ESC) research -- to dampen what they say are unrealistic expectations that stem cells will soon provide cure a range of diseases.Last month South Korean researchers said they had succeeded in producing stem cell lines from cloned human embryos, a major breakthrough in a field whose proponents depict as science's exciting new frontier but whose opponents call immoral because embryos are destroyed in the process. The Lancet noted that "numerous sensationalist headlines" had greeted the news from Korea. The journal does not oppose ESC research, but pointed to "major practical and ethical issues" and said much more research was needed "before clinical trials become widespread."
In the drive to experiment on human embryos, different countries have considered allowing scientists to obtain the cells from varied sources -- from unwanted embryos left over after IVF treatment; from embryos created by IVF specifically for the purpose of providing cells; or from cloned embryos. In each case, the embryos are destroyed, making the research anathema to pro-lifers.