Stem cells: What is in store

摘要

Since the first stem cell transplant in 1988 much attention has focused on stem cell storage and potential stem cell therapy applications. Funding for stem cell research has increased dramatically as confidence in the potential clinical benefits of stem cell therapy grows.rnStem cells, given the right stimuli, are capable of transforming into other cells types found in the human body, such as liver, skin or red blood cells. Some stem cells are more "plastic" than others and can be used to replace damaged or abnormal blood cells as part of the treatment of some malignant blood disorders, such as leukaemia, as an alternative to bone marrow transplantation.