Question
What is the foreseeable potential for stem cell applications?

1. What are the current limits on controlled transdifferentiation?
2. What do we have to know to extend these limits?
3. What ethical problems may arise in this brave new world?

Suggestions

• General background:
  
  Scientific American: The Stem Cell Challenge [ BIOTECHNOLOGY ]
  What hurdles stand between the promise of human stem cell therapies and real treatments in the clinic?
  
  NIH Stem Cell Information page: A wealth of information and links
   
• Suggested reading:
  Teaching Cells New Tricks. Trends in Biotechnology (2003) 21:354-361. Philippe Collas and Anne-Mari Håkelien
   
• Survey scientific literature for articles on stem cell applications.
  Try:
  
  • PubMed: Go to NCBI, click on PubMed
    
  • Web of Science: Go to VCU Library, click on W,
    then Web of Science
  • NIH Stem Cell Information page, click on Research Topics, then Scientific Literature
   
• Find and read a couple of articles. Note: Online journals often make their articles available only to subscribers... like VCU! For your best shot at getting an article:
  
  • Go to the VCU library web page
  • Click on E-journal (at right)
  • Find your favorite journal
   
• Surf the web (but beware!)

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