 Stem
cells are a breakthrough in modern regenerative medicine. They have
a huge potential in regenerative medicine through their ability to
generate cells and tissues. Stem cells can also be directed to
differentiate into specific cell types, thereby offering the
possibility of a renewable source of replacement cells and tissues -
to treat diseases such as Parkinson's & Alzheimer's diseases, spinal
cord injury, stroke, burns, heart disease, diabetes, osteoarthritis
and rheumatoid arthritis.
Recent studies have indicated the possibility to
direct differentiation of stem cells into heart muscle cells or
insulin-producing pancreatic cells. For example, it is now possible
to generate healthy heart muscle cells from stem cells in the
laboratory and transplant those cells into patients with chronic
heart disease. In type I diabetes, the cells of the pancreas that
normally produce insulin are destroyed by the patient's own immune
system. It is now possible to direct the differentiation of stem
cells in stem culture to form new insulin producing cells that could
eventually be used in transplantation therapy for diabetes |
