How far off are some of the most promising medical advances?
Its true that tight regulatory controls mean it can take a decade or more for new drugs or therapeutic treatments to reach patients. However, the process of commercializing tests and products for laboratory use is much quicker. Already, scientists are using cell colonies derived from human embryonic stem cells to help test drugs and animal therapies. For example, animals with acute spinal cord injury have been proven to show regeneration of damaged neurons after treatments with a stem cell based therapeutic. In one of the human therapeutic applications that appears to be advancing most rapidly, Geron Corp. is preparing to launch clinical trials of a stem cell treatment for victims of spinal cord injury. Those trials are expected to begin this year.
