Developmental Biology, Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cells: The Hope Machine is Justified. These are the words of David Warburton (Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine Program, Saban Research Institute, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles,
Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California).
He points out that "Several Nobel prizes have already been awarded in what is by now the wide-open field of stem cell biology. By now, the first in vitro fertilized human baby girl has children of her own. Dolly the sheep, the first cloned large mammal is stuffed and on display, in a glass case, in the science museum in London."
He states that "Now it is possible to drive differentiated cells backwards towards a more embryonic like state of induced pluripotency by means of as few as four factors and the Nobel has already been awarded in record time for this discovery. Additionally, many classes of stem-like cells originating from the various mesenchymal compartments of the body (marrow, adipose, amnion, amniotic fluid, etc.) have been shown to exert promising healing properties in certain inflammatory and fibrotic diseases. Moreover neural stem cells can be programmed to act as “Trojan horses” to attack otherwise inaccessible brain tumors."
He concludes that "Applying these discoveries to the betterment of human diseases has brought forth much hope but continues to present many challenges".
Warburton, D (Ed.). (2015). Stem cells, tissue engineering, and regenerative medicine. World Scientific Publishing.