As dictionaries suggest : A close careful study to find out  new facts or information.

Now as science defines it :  The strict definition of scientific research is performing a methodical study in order to prove a hypothesis or answer a specific question. Finding a definitive answer is the central goal of any experimental process.

NOW MY WAY OF DEFINING IT :THREE CRITERIONS IS WHAT I SAY DEAL WITH THIS WORD AND YOU TOGETHER: SHOULD MEET SCIENTIFIC STANDARDS SHOULD BE HONEST SHOULD RESPECT NATURE AND LIFE

Technique is known!!!!

Lets see some claims raised by embryo stem cell technique supporters:

Human embryonic stem-cell research involves only embryos that will be discarded by fertility clinics. No other treatment methodology can be better than embryo stem cell therapy. (gold standard of ESC). Embryos are just a ball of cells, but patients are human beings who are suffering.

 Personal opinion:

About discarded embryos: Not necessarily all discarded ones may have genetic compatibility with patients. The embryos from fertility clinic may not be enough to satisfy the demand. This demand will make HESC a road to money , paving way for it to become a business objective. Unknown deformities in genomic or cellular level that may hamper the future life of patient with the transplant.

Gold standard of ESC : The belief that only HESC are the future and no treatment is better than that . Solution- IPSC Induced pluripotent stem cells. IPSC research meets every mark of good science and has the following ethical advantages: It does not destroy human embryos; It does not use human oocytes (eggs) harvested from women. It does not alienate a large part of the countrys citizens by engaging in research that they find deeply immoral.

 Everything on earth named synonymously to life starts from a cell stage and then develops into a multicellular form  So once we become so called superior intelligence dump we think and we try to decide which is life and which is not, a typical case of human chauvinism  Embryos are developing human beings, not tumours or disorganized collections of human cells which are played upon with ease  The moral issue does not disappear just because the embryos are very small or because they are no longer wanted for reproductive purposes: Because they are living human embryos, destroying them is not a morally neutral act.

Now lets see the alternate of this technique in detail:

A new technique developed around the year 2006. This involves transfection of a non-pluripotent with certain stem cell associated genes . (Oct-3/4 (Pouf51) and Sox2,) these are the genes. In most of the cases it is the fibroblast cells which are used. Now the procedure is on course of developments for further making the technique viable and approachable in case of humans In 2007,the results were published in Science by James Thomson at University of WisconsinMadison and another in Cell by Shinya Yamanaka and colleagues at Kyoto University, Japan. Thomson and colleagues used OCT4, SOX2, NANOG, and a different gene LIN28 using a lentiviral system.

Considered as one of the biggest substitute for our controversial procedure . Problems persist: Said to be cancer causing. Said to be not as effective as ESC.

 Ben Leahy, 20, was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis 2008 and ended up in intensive care at one point with respiratory failure after his condition deteriorated rapidly.  The risk of death from the procedure after stem cell therapy risk of death has now been reduced to 1 per cent and Dr Andrews says the outstanding results on Ben means it can now be an option for more people as a last resort if other treatments have not been successful in stopping the progress of the disease.

There are many more examples of cure in recently. Dr. Douglas Losordo, M.D whose the principle investigator in this research say s that in case of angina, cardiomyopathy

There is recovery chance from 60 to 80 %

 Takahashi, K. & Yamanaka, S. Induction of pluripotent stem cells from mouse embryonic and adult fibroblast cultures by defined factors. Cell 2006.  Stadtfeld M, Nagaya M, Utikal J, Weir G, Hochedlinger K. Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Generated without Viral Integration. Science 2008  http://www.stemcellethics.net