Why not use adult stem cells instead of using human embryonic stem cells in research?

Answer: 

Human embryonic stem cells are thought to have much greater developmental potential than adult stem cells. This means that embryonic stem cells may be pluripotent—that is, able to give rise to cells found in all tissues of the embryo except for germ cells, rather than being merely multipotent—restricted to specific subpopulations of cell types, as adult stem cells are thought to be.

Learn More:

• Stem Cell Reports

Last Updated: 5/1/2008