The views of a leading scientist are that stem cell ‘pharmacies’ could be commonplace on the UK’s high streets in about 20 years.

Professor David Warburton, a leading authority on stem cells and regenerative medicine, who is based in Los Angeles, told a special conference in the UK that he expected the next two decades to bring personalised treatment for damaged body parts and organs and that stem cells banks will eventually be as widespread as regular chemists are today.

Stem cells are able to be grown in laboratories and used to make replacement tissue while those taken from early stage embryos are able to become virtually any kind of tissue in the human body. Professor Warburton has led research into the use of stem cells extracted from the amniotic fluid that surrounds a baby in the womb. His laboratory is looking into possibly using stem cells to reconstruct lungs and is hoping eventually to include experimental stem cell treatments for blood diseases and spinal cord injuries.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1293990/Stem-cell-pharmacies-High-Street-just-20-years.html