The Stem Cell Challenge: Overview/Stem Cell Prospects
By Nadia Rosenthal & Robert Lanza
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The possibility of replacing or regenerating failing body parts with new tissues derived from stem cells has provoked hope, controversy and conflicting scientific claims.
Embryonic stem cells offer primordial potential, but scientists are still struggling to understand and control them. Stem cells in the adult body may be easier to marshal for some tasks, but their true origin and range of abilities are still unresolved.
Many hurdles, both scientific and political, remain before stem cell treatments can be widely applied to patients.
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