• Regenerative Medicine is a new approach for repairing cells and tissues in the treatment of currently incurable diseases and conditions, like juvenile diabetes.
• Biomedical research for Regenerative Medicine focuses on stem cells — the master cells for human development. Stem cells have three general properties:
  1. They are capable of dividing and renewing themselves for long periods.
  2. They are undifferentiated.
  3. They can give rise to specialized cell types

Stem cell research includes:

• Adult stem cells, including umbilical cord blood stem cells.
• Stem cells derived from excess in vitro fertilized eggs that would otherwise be discarded.
• Stem cells derived from a laboratory procedure known as Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer (SCNT).
• Embryonic stem cell lines approved by President Bush prior to August 9, 2001 for federally funded research.

There are significant differences among the various types of stem cell research, but each is critically important and must be vigorously pursued