Stem cells are those cells found inside a developing embryo by day # 6 that have the potential to develop into all of the body parts that are present in a baby at birth. The original research investigated the intriguing prospect of developing lines of stem cells that could be used to repair worn or diseased body parts in adults. By 1981, researchers had found a way to develop stem cells from mouse embryos.
Researchers then acquired living human embryos produced by IVF that were designated to be discarded. This led to ethical arguments that these are living humans, and discarding them or destroying them in the process of research was immoral. However, such research continued by removing the stem cells from inside the embryos, thus killing them, throughout the 1980’s, and the first embryonic stem cell line was produced in 1998. When George W. Bush became President in 2001 he acted just 7 months later to restrict the use of federal funds for research on human embryonic stem cells to those that had been removed before that date, citing that it was immoral to waste human life in that way.
However, embryonic stem cell research continued in other countries. In one famous case, a company in California began operation in 2008 to sell fetal body parts illegally to pharmaceutical companies and academic institutions around the world. This all became known in 2015 when videos were released showing Planned Parenthood executives discussing the sale of tissues and organs from aborted babies.
For eight years, Planned Parenthood supplied hearts, brains, lungs, intestines, and other organs to that company in exchange for substantial monetary contributions, which made that company one of their largest financial “donors.”
When the company was discovered and the owners prosecuted, it became known that the sellers involved were wanted by authorities in Ecuador for crimes involving abortion. However, they were admitted into the US after making huge monetary contributions to certain political parties of the incumbent government which favored expanded access to abortion, and thus they had been granted political asylum.
Whereas the sellers’ assets were liquidated and they were deported, the California Attorney General declined to prosecute Planned Parenthood for trafficking in fetal body parts. It was later discovered that the Attorney General received substantial donations from Planned Parenthood as political campaign contributions. However, in September 2019, Planned Parenthood personnel admitted in sworn testimony to selling fetal body parts. In 2020 the FBI and DOJ were investigating the matter for possible prosecution. With the change to an abortion-friendly administration in 2021, that will not happen.
At the same time that all of this was going on, other legitimate research centered on the regression of specialized cells such as from bone marrow or umbilical cord blood into “adult stem cells.” Eventually it was discovered that there were problems getting human embryonic stem cell lines to work for treating diseases. However, adult stem cells did work and became the “gold standard” for further research, ending that controversy.