Human embryonic stem cells (hES) are often made from scratch from lab. The restrictions are neither religious or government imposed – but simple supply. To make an embryo you need a human egg. Women must undergo a potentially life-threatening procedure to acquire the eggs (which is why most progressive countries ban payment for them and often ban altruistic donation as well). One year and $100,000 later, Harvard had no donors for their program.

The United States actually has some of the least restrictions on hES research in the world. Though this piece implies religious restrictions, you’ll find leaders in stem cell research, like India, doesn’t allow creation of a human embryo simply for research purposes, and as mentioned above, many won’t allow you to get eggs for it. Few other countries allow cloning attempts. Furthermore, the US government grants more federal dollars for hES research ($40,000,000 annually) than most other countries combined spends on all stem cell research. Last year, Bush issued EO 13435 to expand funding for arrested embryos (1/2 of all IVF embryos arrest and they account for almost all the embryos ‘thrown away’), parthenogenesis (averages 2 eggs needed and used in Germany for eye and neural research) and a form of nuclear transfer (cloning). [Actually, he had to issue the executive order because the House wouldn't bring a bill to his desk to sign, despite S.30 passing the Senate with a veto-proof margin - nay votes included Feinstein, Clinton, and Obama.)

Also, embryonic stem cells (ES) have yet to be shown safe for therapies, and nowhere in the world are they being used that way. They form tumors with such regularity it is the preliminary test for them. Inject under skin. No tumor = no ES. One way that might get around this is to mature the ES (through other stem cell stages) to final tissue. Any spec of ES results in tumors, so this tissue would be like it came from any other adult and require a lifetime of immunosuppressing drugs. Unlike drug therapy, once they are there they can't be 'stopped'. As a result, if ever approved for human trials it would be a long time before insurance would cover the costs.

Conversely, people's own stem cells are being used for organ creation and transplant, 'curing' both types of diabetes, MS, crohn's, lupus, arthritis, etc., regeneration of body parts, repair of damage caused by strokes and heart attacks -indeed, for most of the top 10 causes of death in US. (I've posted YouTube videos on all this, most coming from news sources or JAMA - under WayCurious. You can also search ClinicalTrials.gov for the 1000+ currently recruiting.)

Because cord blood can cross the blood/brain barrier it not only is used for repair - it is an excellent method for drug/gene transport; homing to the place of damage that needs it. Previously lethal conditions like Krabbe and Bubble Boy Disease have been cured this way.

The spinal cord injury work done is with patient's own stem cells. Pretty much all of Dr. Lima's patients have had some form of recovery - if it's only restoration of bladder function. US has pretty strict clinical trial requirements, but Dr. Rosin at University of Louisville is recording success on rats (search my YouTube for video).

You are right to mention the risks of surgery. Because many treatments with non-embryonic stem cells can be done with injection/infusion, they are superior in this respect to the cut/replace surgical method that would be required using hypothetical embryonic stem cell generated tissue replacement.

Another type of stem cell not mentioned here is considered by most 'fathers of stem cells' as the future of stem cell therapy. Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS) can be made through a simple swab of the cheek. These patient specific cells are perfect for understanding disease, drug testing, and (hopefully, eventually) direct therapies.

The simple fact is, iPS makes (hES) obsolete.

Sir Martin Evans : "This will be the long-term solution."
(Dr. Evans is the man who 1st isloated embryonic stem cells in 1981 and winner of this year's Nobel Prize in Medicine)

Dr. Ian Wilmut: ""this is the future of stem cell research: and it's "100 times more interesting."
(Dr. Wilmut cloned Dolly, now has given up on SCNT because he "believes a rival method pioneered in Japan has better potential for making human embryonic cells which can be used to grow a patient's own cells and tissues for a vast range of treatments.)

Dr. John Gearhart "I think this is the future of stem cell research,"
(the biologist who first discovered human fetal embryonic stem cells).

Dr. James Thompson: "A decade from now, this [hES controversy] will be just a funny historical footnote,” “Isn’t it great to start a field and then to end it?”
(1st to grow human embryonic stem cell lines in 1998 AND who reprogrammed skin to ‘embryonic’ in the US)

Ask anyone of them if is suffering of devastating Spinal Cord or Brain Injury and what are they doing to cure these incredible sufferings.

Life will not progress with empty words !!!

Cornell Furtuna