title: Stem cells - 13 years since their isolation, is there any proven benefit to the patient?
abstract: Stem cells are seen as the 'magic bullet'; while this may be true, their efficacy and safety in patients has not yet been established unequivocally. This article summarises the different types of stem cells and gives an overview of their advantages and disadvantages, their use, and potential uses in the patient setting.
authors.affiliation: University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. sommerp@ukzn.ac.za
authors.forename: Paula
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sommer
mesh_terms: D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D057905:Stem Cell Research; D033581:Stem Cell Transplantation