I believe truth always wins in the end. However we never know when “the end” will be. “The end” comes sooner on some issues, later on others, and really later on still others. I often find myself sounding like my children on past car trips saying, "Are we there yet?"

Pro-lifers are working hard to get the truth about abortion to this culture and are making headway, but we are not “there” yet. We are, however, getting farther down the road with embryonic stem cell research.

For the past 20 years some medical researchers have thought the cure for many deadly afflictions would be found in embryonic stem cells. Pro-lifers decry embryonic stem research because it requires the death of the smallest of humans, embryos, in order to retrieve the stem cells embodied within. This research has been argued about in the public square for years. Remember President George W. Bush’s much-publicized decision that federal funds could be used only for the 70 lines of embryos that had already been destroyed, but no others?

Since that time, many states have tried, some successfully, to use state monies to fund embryonic stem cell research. Researchers want tax money to do embryonic research because it is so unproductive that little private money is invested. So far, not one single human cure has been found.

Meanwhile, researchers using adult stem cells retrieved from sources such as body fat, blood and even umbilical cord blood, have found cures for more than 100 deadly afflictions, with more coming. Adult stem cell research is enthusiastically supported by pro-lifers.

Pro-lifers have been spelling out the truth about why embryonic stem cell research should be stopped: It kills human embryos; despite hundreds of millions of dollars spent, not one single useful treatment for humans has been developed; adult stem cells are providing cures on a regular basis; successful iPS research is now able to provide the equivalent of embryonic stem cells without killing any embryos.

Notwithstanding all this truth, the Obama administration is wildly in favor of ESCR and from the moment of taking the reins of power has given NIH grants to fund it. In October 2010, the FDA gave its first license to inject embryonic stem cells into humans to Geron, a company that has built its reputation (and bank account) on promising successful ESCR treatments. Geron then received a $25 million award of California tax money to do its human research. The ESCR proponents were on a roll….they thought.

Things came crashing down in mid-November when Geron abruptly announced it was halting its first clinical trial of embryonic stem cell treatment AND getting out of the embryonic stem cell business altogether. This announcement was akin to having Bayer renounce aspirin and stop all tablet production. The reason given by Geron was “financial priorities.” Speculation runs from possible bad results with the human trials, to financial impossibilities of more funding due to no positive trial results. Whatever the reason, Geron’s closing the door to any future ESCR is devastating to all those who had put their hopes in embryonic stem cell cures.

If this devastating event was not enough, another one was soon to follow. In late November, Ian Wilmut, the internationally famous scientist who cloned Dolly the sheep, and who has been a big proponent of ESCR, urged his fellow scientists to abandon embryonic stem cell research. At a California conference Wilmut said embryonic stem cells are not likely to show promise and that researchers should focus their energies on non-embryonic stem cell research. While not morally opposed to using embryonic stem cells, Wilmut said they are not safe to work with and there are better alternatives. Embryonic stem cell research is banned in several European countries and the European Court recently ruled that scientists can’t patent stem cells if they are obtained by destroying human embryos.

Back here in the U.S., a federal appeals court will hear a lawsuit to block government-funded research on human embryonic stem cells.

So while we are not “there” yet, when it comes to embryonic stem cell research, we are able to see that the journey is nearing its end.