The Use of Stem Cells for Treatment of Diseases

Stem cells are a type of cell that can develop in different ways to form all of the organs in the body, from bone, kidney, and liver to blood and brain. Specialized types of stem cells have the ability to stop immune responses. Stem cells may therefore be very useful as a therapy for diseases in which organs are damaged or where the immune system is too active. Some types of stem cells are already used for therapy, such as the hematopoietic (blood) stem cells, which are used for the treatment of bone marrow cancer. The use of other types of stem cells is currently being studied in the laboratory and in experimental therapies. Researchers are trying to find out the best way of giving stem cells to patients, where the cells go in the body, and how long they survive in the patient. We expect that, in the future, many more stem cell therapies will become available.