Haven’t heard much about embryonic stem cell studies in the news lately… Probably because there’s not much to report. All the good news, and breakthroughs, are still coming from… adult stem cell research.
 
Just a couple weeks ago, Shinya Yamanaka MD, PhD won the 2012 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for discovering how to transform ordinary adult skin cells into cells that – like embryonic stem cells – are capable of developing into any cell in the human body.
 
Embryonic stem cell research is ethically controversial (the cells are culled from embryos and would eventually require therapeutic cloning), and has produced little if any success. As To the Source reports ~

… adult stem cell research human trials—now numbering in the thousands—have shown very promising results for diseases and disabilities ranging from spinal cord injury, to multiple sclerosis, to heart disease.
 
In contrast, despite spending billions in public and private investments, embryonic stem cell research remains moribund. At present, there are only three tiny human safety trials using embryonic stem cells for a degenerative eye condition being conducted in the entire world. There was a fourth, sponsored by Geron Corporation—an experiment to treat acute spinal cord injury that made international headlines. But it was canceled after only a year and the company abandoned embryonic stem cell research altogether.

 
Money Morning discusses the implications for the future, in light of this discovery and other recent medical advances in this field ~

… they point to a day in the very near future in which adult stem cells will become a routine part of treating a wide range of diseases, from cancer to Alzheimer’s.
 
See, that’s the great thing about stem cells – they can grow to become anything, from bone to brain tissue. Doctors hope to take your own cells, like those in your skin, and use them to grow replacement organs or to repair damaged muscles or other tissue.

 
Awesome stuff! With Dr. Yamanaka’s discovery there’s little if any need to continue research on embryonic cells, and by extension, human cloning.
 
Related:
Smart Money’s on ADULT Stem Cells
Stem Cell Research Facts ~

Adult stem cells are a “natural” solution. They naturally exist in our bodies, and they provide a natural repair mechanism for many tissues of our bodies. They belong in the microenvironment of an adult body, while embryonic stem cells belong in the microenvironment of the early embryo, not in an adult body, where they tend to cause tumors and immune system reactions.