IT’S A claim that could profoundly affect the future of stem cell research. Scientists at biotech giant Genzyme say that many supposedly different kinds of adult stem cells – which hold enormous promise for treating disease – are in fact indistinguishable.
The experiments appeared in a little-noticed paper late last year (Tissue Engineering, vol 8, p 739), but are now gaining attention. If the conclusions are correct – and this is far from settled – those in the field may be in for quite a ride. At issue are basic questions about how many different types of adult stem cells there are,…
