The Government, along with most of the scientific community, believe that stem cell research offers enormous potential to deliver new treatments for currently incurable illnesses, like chronic heart disease, diabetes and Parkinson’s.

Anti-vivisection groups like to suggest that the use of stem cells is an alternative to the use of animals in research. For example, Europeans for Medical Progress states that “human stem cells have already successfully treated children with leukaemia”. But this is a treatment, not a research method.

The new report of the ’Stem Cell Initiative’ makes clear the important contribution of animal research to the emerging science of stem cell research. It highlights, for example, how the landmark discovery that new neurons are generated in the adult brain by specific groups of stem cells was initially made in mice. After this, it was rapidly confirmed in primates and humans. The report also confirms that it will be vital to test any new cell therapy preparations in animals for the absence of contaminating embryonic stem cells in order to ensure that they cannot cause teratomas in patients.

Stem cell research is yet another area of science where the use of animals is vital, as has already been described on our main website.