ABSTRACT
Self-renewal and pluripotency place pluripotent stem cells in a unique position in the fi eld of regenerative medicine. To date, a number of studies have demonstrated the improvement of damaged organ through the stem cell transplantation (Aboody et al. 2011, Wu and Hochedlinger 2011, Lafl amme and Murry 2011, Melton 2011). There are various degenerative diseases that would benefi t from cell therapy and thus potentially restoring damaged or lost tissue. The following section describes a number of degenerative diseases and trials using stem cell transplantation to potentially improve disease state. We will describe the current status of these therapies in preclinical animal models and/or clinical applications and the challenges facing their translation into the clinic.
