What are stem cells, exactly? U-M responds with site

U-M is helping people sort out the science, ethics and emotions of the stem cell controversy with a new Web site—Life Sciences at Michigan.

The site, lifesciences.umich.edu, features a collection of resources, including an animated Flash tutorial that is intended to be a complete, accurate account of what stem cell science is and is not.

The Life Sciences at Michigan Web site, lifesciences.umich.edu, includes a six-part tutorial, explaining what stem cells are, where they are found and how they work.

The tutorial brings stem cell science to life with clear text and simple illustrations that explain why embryonic stem cells are different from adult stem cells, and where each are found. It shows what scientists mean by "nuclear transfer" and why they believe reproductive cloning would be a bad idea. The tutorial also explains the promise of stem cells to improve drug testing.

"Understanding this new area of science and its potential importance to all types of biomedical research is something that requires a bit of time and work," President Mary Sue Coleman says. "Unfortunately, since stem cell science and nuclear transfer have become the subjects of contentious debate, some of the scientific facts have been obscured or misunderstood."

In addition to the six-part tutorial, the site includes video clips, radio programs, in-depth explanations from a variety of sources, profiles of U-M stem cell researchers, prominent commentary, polling data and links to other resources.

"We hope people will look to this as a complete source of information, and refer back to it often," Coleman says.