Embryonic stem cell therapy

Stem cell therapies, particularly those using embryonic stem cells, offer a novel approach to treating disease. There is an ongoing effort to develop tools and reagents to assist in understanding stem cells at a research level. In addition to these research tools, making stem cell therapy a reality requires the development of tools that enable the translation of research into viable therapies. Three sets of tools are discussed in this article: tools enabling stem cell scale-up and manufacture to GMP standards, tools addressing the behavior of cells in animal models, and tools to assess transplanted cells in early clinical trials. The development of such tools will address many of the safety and efficacy questions that are likely to arise as stem cell therapies move from bench to bedside.