The following article originally appeared in the Fall 2017 issue of the MCFL News magazine, a perk of membership mailed out quarterly to all members.

It wasn't that long ago that embryonic stem cells were touted as lifesaving research that merited funding with billions of taxpayer dollars. Pro-life objections to the destruction of human embryos were categorized as cold-hearted, anti-science sentimentality. Then, in 2007, Dr. Shinya Yamanaka discovered a way to reprogram adult cells to act as embryonic cells. Called induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), Yamanaka's discovery made the destructive science virtually obsolete. There is still not a single validated case of lifesaving results with embryonic stem cells.

Dr. David Prentice, Vice President and Research Director for the Charlotte Lozier Institute (CLI), reports that over 1.5 million people have been treated with adult stem cells, resulting in lives saved and health improved for dozens of diseases and medical conditions. Prentice said, “Within the past year there have been many advances in adult stem cell science, including new strategies and advances using adult stem cells to treat stroke, even years after the stroke event; multiple sclerosis, putting people into remission, not just stopping progression of the disease; and improving repair of both knee joints as well as damaged hearts.”