What are the limitations of using embryonic stem cells?
Several obstacles need to be overcome before embryonic stem cell-based therapy is a realistic treatment option for patients. As embryonic stem cells have the potential to grow into any cell type in the body, it must be ensured that the purified populations of specialized cells for patient therapy no longer contain any non-specialised embryonic stem cells. Non-specialised embryonic stem cells carry the risk of tumour formation following transplantation, as they may continue to grow when implanted into the body. The possibility of tissue rejection must also be addressed. Like all transplantation procedures, cells generated from embryonic stem cells will need to be tissue-matched so that the patient will not reject the transplanted cells. Transplant recipients would most likely also require long-term anti-rejection treatments that contribute undesirable side effects. One alternative might be to establish banks of embryonic stem cells. However, the number of embryonic stem cell lines requi
