Stem cells, whether they occur in the body or in the lab, are defined by two cardinal properties: they can self-renew (generate perfect copies of themselves upon division) and differentiate (produce specialized cell types that perform specific functions in the body). The promise of stem cells as new tools for benefiting human health resides in these twin properties that, in principle, allow production of unlimited quantities of defined cell types (e.g., for use in drug screening or transplantation)
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