Wesley J. Smith

Patients’ own blood stem cells combined with immune suppression have provided effective treatment of Type 1 diabetes in human patients, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. From the report: During a 7- to 36-month follow-up (mean 18.8), 14 [out of . . . . Continue Reading »

China has apparently issued regulations to stop the purchase and sale of human organs. Good. But based on China’s history in these matters, count me as a skeptic that it will either be enforced or do any . . . . Continue Reading »

Under the terms of Texas law, hospital ethics committees have the right to unilaterally vote to refuse wanted life-sustaining treatment. Known as “futile care theory” or “medical futility” or “inappropriate care,” such refusals are permitted to be made on quality . . . . Continue Reading »

According to this poll, published by the League of United Latin American Citizens . . . . Continue Reading »

We hear a lot of sturm and drang that President Bush is “anti-science” because of his opposition to human cloning and full federal funding of destroying embryos for ESCR. But these positions don’t make the President anti-science: That dispute is about ethics. People can agree or . . . . Continue Reading »

“Kill the bill, not the ill!” was the demonstration chant a few years ago against a bill to legalize assisted suicide in California. Now, like a virus that won’t go away, assisted suicide advocates are once again trying to transform assisted suicide into a “medical . . . . Continue Reading »

It stuns me sometimes how utterly ignorant media can be about human cloning and embryonic stem cell research. Not only does ignorance drive bad public policies, but it can be harmful. The Joplin Globe committed both journalistic sins in this ludicrously bad Joplin Globe editorial about attempts to . . . . Continue Reading »

Context. Context. Context. As editorial writers wax eloquent about how assisted suicide would just be about “choice” and managing one’s own end of life, story after story is being reported about how those on the margins are abused, neglected, and marginalized.This is one such awful . . . . Continue Reading »

Scientists are reporting that the wide size variety in dogs is caused by variations in but one gene. From the story in the Telegraph: Ranging from toy to giant, dogs have the biggest size variation of any mammal and the team of US and British experts believe it is due to variations in one gene.After . . . . Continue Reading »

Of course they are adult stem cell derived. From the CNN story:Cytori (down $0.02 to $5.62, Charts) is planning to launch its first stem cell medical device in Europe this year, said Eric Daniels, senior director of business development for the company, with a market debut planned for Spain and . . . . Continue Reading »