Book Review Published in the Spring 2002 issue of Spinal Cord Injury Update Stem Cells and the Future of Regenerative Medicine by the National Research Council and the Institute of Medicine (Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 2002) On June 22, 2001, a special committee appointed by the National Research Council and the Institute of Medicine held a meeting of leading scientists, ethicists, and other authorities to explore the scientific and medical potential of human stem cells undifferentiated cells that can give rise to specialized tissues and organs and to deliberate the complex and controversial ethical and funding issues surrounding stem cell research.

Stem Cells and the Future of Regenerative Medicine is a concise, readable report on the proceedings and findings of this meeting. It summarizes what scientists know about adult and embryonic stem cells, provides an overview of the moral and ethical problems that arise from this field of medical research, and presents the committee's findings and recommendations for future research. A reader from Eastern Washington, whose son has a spinal cord injury, called the book "a must for everyone involved in stem cell research, pro or con, and all those of us with a keen mind for what's really important to humanity, regardless of background or status.

" If you cannot find a copy of Stem Cells and the Future of Regenerative Medicine ($19.95 paperback), at your local book store, contact the publisher, National Academy Press, at 888-624-8373 (toll-free), or read it online for free at http://www.nap.edu/catalog/10195.html. Last modified: Wednesday, April 24, 2002 at 02:18 PM PDT

 © 1999, 2000 Dept. of Rehabilitation Medicine [University of Washington]