For outsiders, its easy to get confused about the status of stem cell science. If you have questions, a recentStanford Magazine article offers a reader-friendlyentre.

The piece introduces the pioneering work of Irving Weissman, MD, who was the first researcher to isolate stem cells from adult tissue. And it highlights the amazing outcomefrom a recent clinic trial on stem cell therapy for stroke led by neurosurgeonGary Steinberg, MD, PhD. One woman who used a wheelchair often before the procedure no longer needed it following the procedure. As Steinberg saidin the article:

This was a huge surprise We thought the circuits were dead or irreversibly injured, but theyre clearly not; they can be resurrected. Were still trying to figure out exactly how we are resurrecting them.

Maria Grazia Roncarolo, MD, co-director of theInstitute of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, is one of the researchers working to bring the innovative basic science work taking place at Stanford into the clinic.

My mission is to help the university to build a brand in stem cell therapy, sheexplained. What we are now pushing into the clinic is just the tip of the iceberg But what we really want to build is a translational research program that would allow all the potential stem cell therapies to surface and be offered to patients in need.

Previously: Stem cells create faithful replicas of native tissue, according to Stanford study, Stroke of luck: Stem-cell transplants show strong signs of efficacy in clinical safety trial for strokeand Stanford scientists describe stem-cell and gene-therapy advances in scientific symposium Image by Ghanson

Originally posted here:
The tip of the iceberg: A look at stem cell science at Stanford - Scope (blog)