In response to Selling cells (SN 10/8), I agree that stem cell research can be very beneficial to people with certain diseases and injuries and that we should try our hardest to find cures, but when research shows that adult stem cells work better than embryonic stem cells, why can’t they be used instead? Embryonic stem cell research is a highly controversial moral issue, while adult stem cells can be harvested harmlessly.

So far, embryonic stem cells have failed to treat diseases, and have caused terrible side effects. Adult stem cells, which can be taken from multiple parts of the body, have successfully treated diseases in humans such as cerebral palsy and multiple sclerosis, and have shown great promise in research regarding diseases such as diabetes and Parkinson’s disease. New technology also indicates that adult stem cells can have just as much potential to change into different kinds of cells as embryonic stem cells.