Cells for Life and Limb

Researchers at Northwestern Memorial Hospital (Chicago) say success with adult stem cells may translate into 100,000 fewer U.S. amputations annually. After a decade of clinical trials in rodents, scientists moved to human patients. And those patients' own stem cells have turned out to help their leg muscles grow new blood vessels (i.e., reestablishing circulation). Scientists hope this will lead to readily available treatments for people suffering from critical limb ischemia (CLI) as early as four years from now.