TY - JOUR T1 - The new stem cell biology: something for everyone JF - Molecular Pathology JO - Mol Pathol SP - 86 LP - 96 DO - 10.1136/mp.56.2.86 VL - 56 IS - 2 AU - S L Preston AU - M R Alison AU - S J Forbes AU - N C Direkze AU - R Poulsom AU - N A Wright Y1 - 2003/04/01 UR - http://mp.bmj.com/content/56/2/86.abstract N2 - The ability of multipotential adult stem cells to cross lineage boundaries (transdifferentiate) is currently causing heated debate in the scientific press. The proponents see adult stem cells as an attractive alternative to the use of embryonic stem cells in regenerative medicine (the treatment of diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, etc). However, opponents have questioned the very existence of the process, claiming that cell fusion is responsible for the phenomenon. This review sets out to provide a critical evaluation of the current literature in the adult stem cell field. ER -