Paralysis Project of America
Stem Cell Research
Position Statement

In general, the principle of using stem cells for research to develop interventions for spinal cord injury and paralysis is strongly supported.

• We support stem cell research particularly as it relates to the restoration of function to those with spinal cord injury.
• The Paralysis Project of America encourages the President’s committee to do a thorough job of evaluating the animal vs. human embryo lines and the viability of using animal stem cells for our research purposes. We encourage the expansion of the President’s position beyond existing stem cell lines should it be shown that the existing animal and human stem cell lines are not viable for our research purposes.
• We support a program that would allow for the donation of existing embryos which have been created for in vitro fertilization, but would be discarded by the creating parents because these embryos are no longer needed. This program could be fashioned after extant organ donation programs.
• We support stem cell research and cloning, but not human reproductive cloning which has significant ethical, moral and technical risks.