How do scientists test stem cell therapies?

Scientists test stem cell therapies to determine whether they can integrate successfully into the body’s tissue without being rejected and whether they can function in the body. 

The first step to testing stem cell therapies is to create an animal model that replicates the targeted human disease. The cultured stem cells are then implanted into the animal model to gauge their efficiency in treating the disease. Conducting such experiments can be laborious. Researchers meticulously analyze all potential outcomes to determine if they can restore certain functions, which may be beneficial to humans even if the cultured cells don’t cure the disease completely in the animal model. 

Very often, researchers are unable to obtain sufficient information from using a single animal model to test the cells. This is because a single animal model of disease is unlikely to mimic human disease in every way. To overcome this limitation, researchers often need to test the cells across multiple animal models to get a better understanding of their therapeutic potential.