Stem Cell Research

Stem cells are special cells found in very early stage embryos (i.e., 5 days after fertilization of an egg) and in some types of adult tissue. Stem cells are "undifferentiated" cells (sometimes referred to as "pluripotent"), which means:  they have not yet developed into a particular type of cell that performs a specialized function (e.g., skin, heart, or nerve cells); and they can, under circumstances, develop into many different types of cells. Stem cell research promises to allow these undifferentiated stem cells to be stimulated to develop into various types of specialized cells or tissue.