NEUROSCIENCE is coming of age. For the first time there is a realistic hope
of designing treatments for paralysis, head injuries and stroke, and progressive
neurological diseases such as multiple sclerosis and brain cancer.
But just as scientists pick up speed in their quest for new therapies,
politicians are applying the brakes. The British Parliament recently voted down
proposals to allow researchers to study stem cells harvested from
embryos—cells that may ultimately help paralysed people walk again and
treat devastating neurological diseases. And if the Republicans prevail in the
contested US presidential elections, they will likely reverse an earlier…
