Stem Cells: The Hope And The Hype
(7 of 7)
The embryo divides into more and more cells and forms a hollow ball of cells called a blastocyst
3 5 TO 7 DAYS
Embryonic stem cells begin to form along the inside of the blastocyst, creating the inner cell mass
4 STEM LINE
The cells are scraped away and grown on a layer of feeder cells and culture medium
5 TISSUE PRODUCTION
Groups of stem cells are nurtured under specialized conditions, with different recipes of nutrients and growth factors that direct the cells to become any of the body's more than 200 various tissues Pancreatic islet cells Could provide a cure for diabetes
Muscle cells Could repair or replace a damaged heart
Nerve cells Could be used to treat Parkinson's, spinal-cord injuries and strokes TIME Graphic
Most Popular »
- The '00s: Goodbye (at Last) to the Decade From Hell
- The Growing Backlash Against Overparenting
- Obama's 'Mistakes': Way Too Early to Judge
- The Gospel of Glee: Is It Anti-Christian?
- In His Cave, a Palestinian Farmer Makes a Stand
- When Thanksgiving Comes to Afghanistan
- Couple Crashes Obama's State Dinner
- One Year After the Mumbai Massacre, a Trial Plods On
- Ahmadinejad in Brazil: Why Lula Defies the U.S.
- California Judge Challenging Obama on Gay Rights
- The Growing Backlash Against Overparenting
- The '00s: Goodbye (at Last) to the Decade From Hell
- The Gospel of Glee: Is It Anti-Christian?
- Zhu Zhu Mania: Hamster Toys Are Ruling Christmas
- When Thanksgiving Comes to Afghanistan
- Obama's 'Mistakes': Way Too Early to Judge
- Five Things the U.S. Can Learn from China
- Ahmadinejad in Brazil: Why Lula Defies the U.S.
- In His Cave, a Palestinian Farmer Makes a Stand
- One Year After the Mumbai Massacre, a Trial Plods On
Quotes of the Day »
Swiss Justice Ministry spokesman FOLCO GALLI, on the decision to place director Roman Polanski under house arrest at his Alpine chalet. Swiss authorities say they won't appeal against a ruling granting bail
Quotes of the Day »
Swiss Justice Ministry spokesman FOLCO GALLI, on the decision to place director Roman Polanski under house arrest at his Alpine chalet. Swiss authorities say they won't appeal against a ruling granting bail
RSS