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Stem cells: What they are and what they do

What is stem cell therapy (regenerative medicine), and how does it work? Content What are stem cells? Why is there such an interest in stem cells? Where do stem cells come from? Why is there a controversy about using embryonic stem cells? Where do these embryos come from? Why can't researchers use adult stem cells instead? What are stem cell lines and why do researchers want to use them? What is stem cell therapy (regenerative medicine) and how does it work? Have stem cells already been used to treat diseases? What are the potential problems with using embryonic stem cells in humans? What is therapeutic cloning, and what benefits might it offer? Has therapeutic cloning in people been successful?

What is stem cell therapy (regenerative medicine), and how does it work?

Stem cell therapy, also known as regenerative medicine, promotes the reparative response of diseased, dysfunctional or injured tissue using stem cells or their derivatives. It is the next chapter of organ transplantation and uses cells instead of donor organs, which are limited in supply.

Researchers grow stem cells in a lab. These stem cells are manipulated to specialize into specific types of cells, such as heart muscle cells, blood cells or nerve cells.

The specialized cells can then be implanted into a person. For example, if the person has heart disease, the cells could be injected into the heart muscle. The healthy transplanted heart cells could then contribute to repairing defective heart muscle.

Researchers have already shown that adult bone marrow cells guided to become heart-like cells can repair heart tissue in people, and more research is ongoing.

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