Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) can be used in research to:

Researchers can use hESCs to produce specialized cells like nerve or heart cells in the lab. These specialized cells can be studied in detail to understand more about the causes and development of diseases. They can also be used to reveal how our cells react to, or could be treated with potential new drugs. This is particularly useful for studying types of cells that cannot easily be obtained by taking tissue from patients, e.g. brain cells.

Recently, hESCs have been produced that meet the strict quality requirements for use in medical treatments. These clinical grade hESCs have been approved for use in a small number of early clinical trials. One example is a trial led by The London Project to Cure Blindness, using hESCs to produce a particular type of eye cell for treatment of patients with the eye disease age-related macular degeneration. The biotechnology company ACT is also using human ESCs to make cells for patients with an eye disease: Stargardts macular dystrophy.

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