What if there was a cure for cancer or a treatment for spinal injuries? Would you support the research? What if there was a way to repair damaged nerves? Some believe that stem cells may hold the answers to some of these questions. What are stem cells and why should we care about them? Some believe they are a miracle treatment waiting to happen, while others believe stem cells are highly unethical. Why is there so much controversy surrounding the issue? Why is the discussion of stem cells feared by some and praised by others? For some, stem cells represent medical hopes for the future, something to hold on to as we battle major diseases that include cancer, Parkston's disease and spinal injuries. To others, stem cell researchers are assassins trying to play God. Many have pledged their support for stem cell research, including some well-known celebrities. Reeves, best known for his role in the first Superman films, and J. Fox, two famous celebrities, have been involved in stem cell research and both have created a private fund for stem cell research. This celebrity, however, has not convinced everyone to support the cause of stem cell research. Just as there are supporters of stem cells, there are those who believe that the use of stem cells is immoral. Since the first stem cells were separated, doctors, religious groups and even some politicians have shown their opposition to stem cell research. Even with the knowledge and promise that stem cells demonstrate, many of those who truly oppose stem cells have not changed their minds. The question is, are their reasons enough to stop stem cell research or are they simply holding back what will soon be inevitable... at the heart of the paper... a controversy. New York: Facts on File Inc., 2005. Print “Stem Cells: The Future of Medicine.” Medschool.umaryland.edu. University of Maryland School of Medicine Web, November 14, 2013Stem cell basics. In Stem Cell Information [World Wide Web site] Bethesda, MD: National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2009 [cited Friday, November 8, 2013] Available at stemcells.nih.gov"Stem Cell Research" . www.ncsl.org. National Conference of State Legislatures, 2008 Web November 7, 2013 “Top Ten Things to Know About Stem Cell Treatments.” Www.closelookatstemcells.org ISSCR. Web 1 November 2013“What are stem cells?” Www.medicalnewstoday.com MNT web November 4, 2013Monroe, Kristen, et al., eds. Foundations of the stem cell debate: the scientific, religious, ethical and political issues. Los Angeles/Berkley: University of California Press, 2008. Print