Stem Cell Therapy

 Stem cell therapy,  also known as regenerative medicine, promotes the repair response of diseased,  dysfunctional or injured tissue using stem cells or their derivatives. It is the next chapter in organ transplantation and uses cells instead of donor organs,  which are limited in supply.

 Researchers grow stem cells in a lab. These stem cells are manipulated to specialize into specific types of cells, such as heart muscle cells, blood cells or nerve cells.

 The specialized cells can then be implanted into a person.  For example, if the person has heart disease, the cells could be injected into the heart muscle.  The healthy transplanted heart muscle cells could then contribute to repairing the injured heart muscle.

 Researchers have already shown that adult bone marrow cells guided to become heart-like cells can repair heart tissue in people, and more research is ongoing.