Research on Stem cell and its application are proceeding with strong headwind of social outcry. When medication or conventional pharmaceutical approaches are exhausted in treating certain conditions/diseases, microsurgery (gene therapy, electrode implant...) and therapeutic use of stem cell might enter the arena of health vanguards.

News today talked about a British surgical transplant of artificial human organ grown from a cancer patient's own stem cell, which is matrixed by a scaffold in vitro. It's a section of "man-made" trachea, with relatively simple tissue combination. The idea is not new, but the practice on humans is.

Imagine the time when we would rely upon stem cells to fix our heart issues, bone issues, muscle atrophy, and even brain activity dysfunction, and how much would the life expectancy be prolonged and how longer would we have to support or fight one another?

Just a decade ago, stem cell was still a relatively new concept. People were still trying to grasp the meaning of DNA at that time. But now, highschool students with a math C- probably know stem cell is not a battery or mobile phone.

with gene therapy plus stem cell, you might be able to get a nose job done that makes you nosier than an elephant (trunk), even as you stopped telling lies long while ago...

or, we might enlarge our heads by having huge brains and much larger baskets. Wow, that is pretty...

If I had to pretend to have some confidence in the bible telling, I would say that science is great but researchers/lucrative companies have to be patient and stay off Eden just a tiny little bit (get back to that tree and feast when there is check and control developed). Patience is a virtue, that is what I learned and forgot and relearned.

Recent case at Duke University, about the genetic screening for cancer patients and their target-oriented chemotherapy, turned out to be an eager attempt that's too presumptuous or overly-conclusive.

There are so many unknowns, and a great number of new discoveries can shed light on our pursuit of right paths. However, we probably need to restrain the boldness/ego sometimes and be patient. Nobody knows everything. For those innovators, if they could brush aside the greatness of novelty for a second, there might be less sacrifice or detour. But, isn't sacrfice and detour part of the pattern for scientific movement? Science is solid but ambition might not be. Ego makes people keep putting their feet down.

As per the benefit from stem cell research and its obstacles, the field is gradually opened up. The slow pace is not a result of patience though.