Most of the time pro-life people discuss adult stem cells, they talk about it in the wrong way. You hear things like "embryonic stem cells have never helped one person and adult stem cells have."
That's true, but that's also not the point. Scientists like embryonic stem cells because of the potential they have to differentiate into any kind of cell, and adult stem cells can't match that yet. Using the embryonic stem cells have never helped a single person line is dishonest and shows little respect for the research side of the science.
That's what's so hopeful about this article. If a type of adult stem cell can be found that matches the potential of embryonic stem cells, then that makes the pro-life case a bit stronger. The ultimate argument is of course a moral one, for if the embryo were not a human life there would be no objection to the harvesting of its stem cells. But obviating the need for embryonic stem cells may prevent at least some od the tinkering with human life which is in fact going on because many don't recognize the personhood of the embryo.
