It's been nearly two years since South Korean researcher Hwang Woo Suk published a scientific paper describing how he created the first human embryonic stem cells by cloning. Last month, Dr. Hwang's university found that much of his research had been faked. What does that setback mean for the field of stem cell research? Is it a momentary setback -- or a much larger problem?

In this hour, live from the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in St Louis, Missouri, we'll look at the scientific, policy, and ethical issues surrounding the field of stem cell research. We'll look at embryonic versus adult stem cells, federal versus state funding, and a key question -- if stem cell therapies eventually work, who will benefit?

Call in with your questions and comments at 1-800-989-8255 (3-4 Eastern). Teachers, find more information about using Science Friday as a classroom resource in the Kids' Connection.

Guests:
Leonard Zon, M.D.
Investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Director, Stem Cell Research Program
Children's Hospital
Grousbeck Professor of Pediatrics
Harvard Medical School
Boston, Massachusetts

Sean Morrison
Investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Research Associate Professor, Life Sciences Institute
Associate Professor, Department of Internal Medicine and Department of Cell & Developmental Biology
Director, UM Center for Stem Cell Biology
University of Michigan
Ann Arbor, Michigan

Lawrence Goldstein
Investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Professor, Cellular and Molecular Medicine
University of California, San Diego School of Medicine
La Jolla, California

Laurie Zoloth
Director, Center for Bioethics, Science and Society
Professor, Medical Ethics and Humanities and of Religion
Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine
Chicago, Illinois

Books/Articles Discussed:

Science Friday Stem Cell Timeline

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This segment produced by Karin Vergoth