Medicina Molecular e Genética

Translational Stem Cell Research – A Marriage of Hope and Hype

Abstract

Shah SM

The conventional medicine has failed to treat such disorders which arise by cell dysfunction or death, thus necessitating reimbursement of body’s natural regenerative power. Among all the cell types known to date, stem cells provide the best source for augmenting these dysfunctional or dead tissues owing to their intrinsic capability to differentiate into any cell type. Combined with the knowledge of genomics and DNA sequencing, translational stem cell research became not only a reality but it bought a renaissance in regenerative medicine. Like any pioneering technology, this stem cell technology also faced legal, ethical and socio-religious concerns owing to its diverse applications. Human greed and opportunism also crept in which created unnecessary chaos and hype in the sublime and honoured hope which this branch of science had bought into current medicine.