Vescovi, Angelo

Although internationally known for his pioneering work in neural stem cell research, particularly his work in the treatment of multiple sclerosis and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s disease), Angelo Vescovi is as much known for his passionate, and often vitriolic, defense of stem cell research in the face of entrenched conservative Catholic government controls in his native Italy, most notably the restrictions against the use of discarded eggs from fertility clinics and the use of aborted fetuses, and laws permitting only the use of miscarried fetuses that have greatly slowed down the research processes and compelled researchers to use often damaged (and virtually useless) samples. Italian researchers in the field have faced not only government obstacles but also public condemnation, threats of violence, ...