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Stem Cell Transplant in Rat Brains
twivel writes "According to this article, scientists have transplanted stem cells into the brain of stroke-damaged rats. These stem cells grew and formed connections with neighboring cells. In 7 days, cells began to differentiate into basic, yet immature types of cells that form the fundamental structure of the brain. Pretty cool, though I wonder where they find their 'stroke-stricken' rats at." Unfortunately for the rats, the strokes are probably induced.
So medical professionals are going to have to choose between the lives of older people and the lives of potential human babies.
If I understand correctly, stem cells are immortal (able to divide indefinitely). This means you'd need one sample for all future needs. I'm sure there's enough honestly-obtainable tissue for that.
Of course, all of this will be academic for another decade or so until research translates into practice.
Another promising avenue of exploration is transforming one form of stem cell into another. This would let us use a patient's own bone marrow stem cells to regenerate any kind of tissue (with the added bonus of not requiring immunosuppressant drugs forever after to prevent rejection). However, while research is promising, this will stay in the lab for quite a while.