Stem Cells for Transplant Therapy

Embryonic stem cells can proliferate indefinitely and under certain condition they can differentiate to neurons and glia in the laboratory. Even though they hold the promise of being able to repair or replace cells or tissues that are damaged or destroyed in neurodegenerative disorders, transplantation of embryonic stem cells is not feasible with current techniques. The lines of 

NSCs isolated from fetal nervous tissue have the potential to differentiate into all types of nervous system cells, including neurons, oligodendrocytes, and astrocytes, so NSCs also have the capacity to replace damaged tissue in both the CNS and PNS. NSCs will restore functional neurons and glia and regenerate injured tissue. It is this characteristic of neural stem cells that makes them a potentially valuable transplantation material in a host of disorders. 

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Discuss the advantages and shortcomings of embryonic, fetal, and adult stem cells for transplantation therapies. 

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