Stem cells and ethics: current issues.

Much attention has recently turned to the promise and potential of human stem cells in therapeutic applications for the repair of cardiac tissue. The advances being made in the laboratory are exciting, and the pace at which research using human stem cells is moving from bench to bedside is extraordinary. The social, ethical, and policy considerations embedded within this area of research also require a large amount of attention and deliberation so that the scientific progress is able to successfully continue without social backlash.