Stem cell research in China: an intertwinement of international finances, ambition, and bioethics

Stem cell research promises remedies to widespread diseases ranging from diabetes to paralysis. ‘Stem cell’ is a term used to refer to a range of cells that have the ability to divide into specialized body cells, such as blood cells or new tissue. By studying the processes in which stem cells grow and differentiate, biologists study the causes of many diseases, and hope to use them for therapeutic uses in the repair of damaged tissue and organs for a wide range of currently incurable disorders.