Experimental therapies with stem cells have waken public interest due to expectations of miraculous healings. The article analyses representations and religious commitment of people involved in different experimental protocols of cellular therapy: patients, their families and researchers of several levels. Fieldwork took place in a higher education institution. The objective is to compare the positions of patients and researchers and also inside the researchers group (according to researcher's educational level) regarding: present religious commitment and previous background and their reactions about human embryo research. Catholic Church opposes the use of human embryos as research material and other religious confessions debate this subject. The paper also examines representations of cure and miracle related to stem cells.
stem cells; human embryo; religiosity; cellular therapy; healing