The Promising Future of Stem Cell Therapeutics

Stem cell therapeutics offer hope for those suffering from debilitating and deadly diseases.  John Sladek, from the University of Colorado College of Medicine (Colorado, USA), and colleagues submits that: “Current research that is focused on pushing the frontiers of potential stem cell therapeutics strongly suggests that millions of people worldwide who suffer from debilitating diseases can be helped with some form of intervention involving the use of human stem cells.” The team explains that the need for stem cell therapies (based on two categories of stem cells, embryonic stem cells (ESCs), able to differentiate into many kinds of cells (pluripotent), and adult (somatic) stem cells, less capable of high differentiation) - corresponds to many of the diseases most responsible for mortality. With the list of potential stem cell therapy targets includes: cardiovascular diseases, cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease, spinal cord injury and autoimmune diseases, including diabetes, the researchers strongly conclude that: “The future indeed is promising and although there are no assurances that cures will be found there is a strong scientific consensus among those involved that time, innovation, and some serendipity together will lead to cures. Those afflicted deserve no less.”