Repair Therapy

Miracle cures promised by regenerative medicine using stem cells have been heard about for years. Stem cells are the ones from which all other body cells of specific kinds blood cells, bone cells, brain cells and more are generated, and thus have the capacity to regrow or repair damaged cells. They are found in large numbers in embryos and umbilical cords, and in smaller numbers in adult adipose tissue and bone marrow, and have to be extracted from these. Their therapeutic possibilities are staggering, with the likelihood of healing many currently near incurable conditions diabetic foot ulcers, burn injuries, incapacitation following a stroke, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease, among others.

But in practice so far, relatively few stem cell related therapies have been developed, and only about a couple of them locally. Both took many years to clear regulatory norms and reach the market. What is holding them back in terms of wide