Picture of stem cellsStem cells have the ability to turn into many different types of cell in the body. They can also renew themselves indefinitely.

Introduction

Stem cells are the most interesting type of cell there is. That is because they can turn into many different types of cell in the body.

Scientists at QMUL and elsewhere are trying to understand how stem cells do this.

Scientists hope that stem cell research will one day provide new treatments for patients with serious diseases. They hope to be able to make body cells such as heart cells or nerve cells to replace those that are damaged or have been destroyed by illness.

There are three types of stem cells in the human body: embryonic stem cells, fetal stem cells and adult stem cells. Scientists find embryonic stem cells particularly interesting because they have the potential to become any type of cell in the human body. Adult and fetal stem cells are more restricted in which type of cells they can grow into.

Human embryos have the potential to grow into adult humans, so some people object to embryonic stem cell research because the embryo is destroyed.