The Clinical Potentials for Stem Cell Products

The economic and psychological tolls of chronic, degenerative, and acute diseases in the United States are enormous. It has been estimated that up to 128 million people suffer from such diseases; thus, virtually every citizen is effected directly or indirectly.This approximation is based on aggregate counts from various sources compiled by the Alliance for Aging Research, Washington, DC. The total costs of treating diabetes, for example is approaching $100 billion in the United States alone.This number includes a "lost productivity" calculation, but does not include costs associated with diseases that are not classically secondary to diabetes, but are associated with immune system... As more research takes place, the developmental potential of different kinds of stem cells will become better understood. As the science is understood now, adult stem cells are limited in their potential to differentiate. Embryonic germ cells have a great differentiation capacity, and embryonic stem cells are thought to be able to differentiate into almost any tissue. Thus, different types of stem cells could have different applications. Below is a discussion of potential stem cell applications.

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Some Examples of Treatments for Major Diseases

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