ADULT STEM CELLS

August 2004
		Adult stem cells, which come from bone marrow, skin, brain, blood and muscle, appear to have enormous potential to help repair the body. But individual studies on stem cell therapy are showing mixed results. Helen Blau, Ph.D., of the Stanford University School of Medicine and Charles Murry, M.D., Ph.D., of the University of Washington's Department of Pathology answer your questions.

Online NewsHour Special Report: Adult Stem Cells Forum Introduction If the current restrictions posed on stem cell research were eliminated, how long would it be before initial procedures for spinal cord injuries would begin to appear? I have Parkinson's and I'm 51 years old. What's a possible timetable for the application of stem cell therapy to help me and others in my age range? Why can't stem cells derived from bone marrow be cultured and the injected locally into regions of the brain that has been damaged as a consequence of a stroke? What are your feelings on the potential of umbilical cord blood as a source of stem cell transplantation? Is it true that the research to date is not applicable to all ethnic groups, particularly, persons of African decent? Can stem cells injected into the body cause cancers? What kind of research is happening in this country, and when can I see human research here?	In countries like Brazil, doctors are treating patients with damaged hearts with a medicine from their own bodies -- stem cells. The doctors first extracted bone marrow tissue and separated the adult stem cells from the larger mass of mature cells. After injecting the stem cells into places where a heart attack had killed muscle cells, blood flow improved and symptomatically, the patients felt better. Despite the positive outcomes among human patients, tests on animals have produced only mixed results. But the need for new treatments for a variety of diseases drives scientists to explore what appears to be the enormous potential of stem cell therapies. Two scientists active in stem cell research -- Helen Blau, Ph.D., of the Stanford University School of Medicine and Charles Murry, M.D., Ph.D., of the University of Washington's Department of Pathology -- answer your questions about the research and potential of adult stem cells.