WHY STEM CELL RESEARCH IS BEING PURSUED

Right now, only a few diseases are treatable with stem cell therapies because scientists can only regenerate  a few types of tissues. However, the  success of the most  established  stem cell-based therapies—blood and  skin  transplants—gives hope that   someday   stem  cells  will  allow   scientists   to develop therapies  for a variety of diseases previous- ly thought to be incurable.   Many major diseases are caused  by the loss of a single type of cell or tissue. For   example,   type   I  diabetes   (juvenile-onset)   is caused  by the loss of the insulin-producing cells of the pancreas,  and  its treatment is limited  to merely alleviating  the  symptoms. Finding  a cure  for  such diseases  would  be  much  easier  if  scientists  could simply  re-grow  the  missing  or  damaged  cells and implant  them into patients.