Each type of stem cell fulfills a specific
function in the body and cannot be expected to make cell types from
other tissues. Thus, it is unlikely that a single type of stem cell
treatment can treat multiple unrelated conditions, such as diabetes and
Parkinson’s disease. The underlying causes are very different and
different cell types would need to be replaced to treat each condition.
It is critical that the cell type used as a treatment be appropriate to
the specific disease or condition.
Embryonic stem cells may one day be used to generate treatments for a
range of human diseases. However, embryonic stem cells themselves cannot
directly be used for therapies as they would likely cause tumors and are
unlikely to become the cells needed to regenerate a tissue on their own.
They would first need to be coaxed to develop into specialized cell
types before transplantation. A major warning sign that a clinic may
not be credible is when treatments are offered for a wide variety of
conditions but rely on a single cell type.
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