Charles Krauthammer

Charles Krauthammer is a syndicated columnist and contributing editor to the Weekly Standard, a magazine of political analysis.

Some contend that embryonic stem (ES) cell research should be urgently supported because researchers are on the brink of curing conditions such as Parkinson’s disease, cancer, and spinal cord injuries. In reality, ES technology is in the elementary stage of development. Scientists have yet to fully understand the properties
of stem cells and how to control them. For example, in one ES cell experiment, a human subject developed a deadly tumor as a direct result of an ES cell injection. Although stem cell research may ultimately lead to effective treatments and cures, results will not be seen for decades. The claim that restricting ES cell research...