Mapping Stem Cell Research: Terra Incognita

Stem cell research is currently one of the most controversial scientific issues. Scientists have achieved promising breakthroughs, but the road to a real medical application is still long. At the same time, religious groups in particular are making their voices heard, fiercely opposing stem cell research and the use of embryos. In the United States, the president is an ardent adversary of stem cell research, while the opposite camp is represented by scientists and idealists who are convinced of its moral and scientific validity. The world of Chicago-based neurologist Jack Kessler was turned upside down when his daughter Alison sustained spinal injuries in a skiing accident. She is now confined to a wheelchair. Since then, Kessler has become a passionate advocate of stem cell research. Maintaining professional distance is foreign to him; his only goal is to cure his daughter and other patients. puts Kessler's unremitting battle for stem cell research and its social acceptance side by side with his level-headed daughter, the reality of the complex research in his laboratory, the suffering of other patients, as well as some opponents. Anecdotes about Kessler's upbringing and background provide depth to his personal crusade and his outrage at politicians' ignorance of biology.