Stem Cells

Stem cells are unique cells that have the ability to develop into different types of cells in the body. Besides development, their task is to repair damaged tissues. The use of stem cells created the category of regenerative medicine with the aim to repair damage related to degeneration with age, trauma, infection, or inflammation, and to prolong health and lifespan. A large gap remains between advances in basic research and practical medicine. Embryonic stem cells are multipotent and have a stronger potential than adult stem cells. There is a huge public interest in stem cell therapy, and there is a huge market offering unapproved therapies for a variety of conditions, from hair loss to dementia. Even though there are promising results using stem cells, large clinical studies are lacking. Currently, unapproved stem cell therapies are offered by numerous providers that often lack scientific oversight and universally accepted guidelines. Induced pluripotent stem cells represent an alternative to embryonic cells but are created from human skin cells by gene manipulation. These require specialized and expensive equipment, and long-term clinical effects must be considered.