The Clinical Potentials for Stem Cell Products
The economic and psychological
tolls of chronic, degenerative, and acute diseases in the United States are
enormous. It has been estimated that up
to 128 million people suffer from such diseases; thus, virtually every citizen
is effected directly or indirectly. The total costs of treating diabetes, for
example is approaching $100 billion in the United
States alone. As more research takes place, the
developmental potential of different kinds of stem cells will become better
understood. As the science is
understood now, adult stem cells are limited in their potential to
differentiate. Embryonic germ cells
have a great differentiation capacity, and embryonic stem cells are thought to
be able to differentiate into almost any tissue. Thus, different types of stem cells could have different
applications. Below is a discussion of
potential stem cell applications.
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| Contributed by: AAAS DoSER and the Institute for
Civil Society
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