STEM CELL FACTS

Many scientists consider stem cell research the most promising medical technology of the 21st century. Stem cells could be used to treat or cure more than 70 diseases and conditions affecting millions of people, including diabetes, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, cancer, multiple sclerosis, Lou Gehrig's Disease (ALS), spinal cord injuries, blindness, and HIV/AIDS.

Stem Cells are the Body's Basic Building Blocks

Stem cells have two unique qualities: They can continually copy themselves, and they can grow into any of the body's various cell types.
When a stem cell copies itself, each of the two cells can either remain a stem cell or become another type of cell, such as those in muscle, blood or the brain.
Some stem cells grow into organs, bones and tissues, but others work in the immune and repair systems. These adult stem cells create replacement cells for those lost because of injury, disease or the normal wear and tear of aging.
Adult stem cells can be used for research and treatment, but most scientists think embryonic stem cells have the most potential to treat and cure diseases.
Not all stem cells are alike.

Adult stem cells are multipotent, which means they can turn into several different kinds of cells within the same cell type. For example, adult stem cells in bone marrow can turn into all of the different types of cells found in blood. Research on adult stem cells has been funded for over 40 years and many successful therapies have been developed.
Embryonic stem cells are pluripotent, which means they can turn into all cell types except egg and sperm cells. Embryonic stem cells were first discovered in 1998, and a strong funding source for research has not yet been established.

Embryonic stem cells are unspecialized cells found in the interior of a blastocyst, which is a microscopic mass of about 150 cells smaller than a period on this page. It develops about 5-14 days after an egg is fertilized.
Scientists have been able to get these stem cells to grow into complex cells with special functions, such as pancreatic cells that produce insulin, or heart muscle cells.

Stem Cell Research is Developing Breakthrough Cures & Offering New Hope

Life-saving stem cell treatments are already in widespread use for some diseases, such as bone marrow transplants for leukemia.
Stem cell research could lead to treatments that save millions of lives and improve the quality of millions more.
Scientists are working on a wide range of stem cell-based therapies. They have created tissue patches for burn victims. They have grown islet cells that produce insulin to treat diabetes and healthy brain cells to ease the symptoms of disorders like Parkinson's disease. They have genetically changed cells, using induced pluripotent stem cell technology (iPS), to deliver healing or protective agents to injured or diseased areas of the body.

Regarding Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPS)

Patients and their families deserve every health care option science can provide. iPS is just one of many areas of research scientists are pursuing for treatments and cures.
However, there is no evidence that iPS should be studied instead of embryonic stem cell research. Until we have effective treatments and cures, we must use all the tools at our disposal to find them.
Scientists worry that iPS carries a risk of cancer. They also question whether IPS cells have the same capabilities as embryonic stem cells.
Despite these questions, iPS research should continue. Likewise, embryonic stem cell research should continue. We simply do not have enough answers yet to justify limiting any part of our search for Cures.

Broad Consensus Exists in Support of Stem Cell Research

Stem cell research has strong support from many notable groups, including the American Medical Association and the National Health Council. Surveys have found:

68% of Americans support embryonic stem cell research.
64% of Americans support federal funding of research on chronic diseases using stem cells taken from human embryos.