Source: San Francisco Chronicle
Date: April 16, 2007
Summary:
One argument for stem cell research is that it might generate fresh replacement cells for those destroyed by such horrific diseases as ALS, the paralyzing nervous system disorder popularly known as Lou Gehrig's disease. The latest research suggests those predictions might be unrealistic: Replacing cells that die off in a disease still leaves open the question of why the cells died in the first place, which is the critical issue in any autoimmune disease, or degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's or Parkinson's. The findings may be the most dramatic example yet of the idea that stem cells are more valuable as a "disease model" -- used to study disease -- rather than a simple source of replacement parts.
