That Other Stem Cell Medicine

Some interesting figures are provided in an article on stem cell transplants in NEWNews: "The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences performed 633 blood stem-cell transplants in 2004, a number that officials say rivals the top facility nationally for blood stem-cell transplants." In short, the simplest form of stem cell medicine is already commonplace. "Physicians who treat cancer patients sometimes use blood stem-cell transplants to help rebuild infection-fighting white blood cells after chemotherapy. ... The actual transplant is usually an outpatient procedure that takes about 30 minutes ... These same cells that regenerate bone marrow will also regenerate heart muscle, nerve tissue, muscles, liver, bone, cartilage. The list gets longer every day."

Link: http://www.nwanews.com/story.php?paper=adg§ion=News&storyid=106141