Talk of stem cells as medical therapies have become almost commonplace these days. Millions have now collected and stored their stem cells in biobanks for potential future use, and tens of thousands of patients have received stem cell transplants or infusions for the treatment of cancer or various experimental regenerative medicine therapies. It is estimated that the likelihood of a member of your family needing a stem cell transplant for cancer by age 70, using their own cells or someone else’s, is 1 in 217. And the odds of use in regenerative medicine may be even greater.
But often overlooked are the common factors that may impair the utility of these stem cells. Two such factors are stem cell age and donor health. Most therapeutic stem cells are derived from relatives or unrelated donors, and it is often difficult to find suitably matched donors. As a result, the selection criteria ...
