Description :
Calling them "our bodies' own repair kits," Susan Solomon advocates research using adult stem cells. We can use them to model and study disease, but she hopes for much more.
Adult stem cells are undifferentiated cells, found throughout the body after development, that multiply by cell division to replenish dying cells and regenerate damaged tissues. Also known as somatic stem cells, they can be found in juvenile as well as adult animals and human bodies. They are pluripotent because they can morph in to any cells in our bodies.
By growing adult stem cells lines in a lab, Susan's team creates testbeds that could accelerate research into curing disease - and perhaps lead to individualized treatment, targeted not just to a particular disease but a particular person.
*by andreascy*
