Stem cells can be employed to replace damaged and diseased cells, curing many diseases. As scientists pursue research into stem cells, they have unlocked many secrets about how cells form and how they affect the body.

The human body is an incredible thing; every eyelash, every fingernail, every organ starts out the same way: as an embryonic stem cell. This video clip offers an introduction to what stem cells really are, how they were first discovered, and the trajectory of relevant scientific discoveries since.

"Richard Cohen struggles with failing limbs and is legally blind. He has survived two bouts of colon cancer and a life-threatening blood clot in his lungs. After enduring decades of harsh treatments and invasive therapies, Cohen decided to trade in his life as a patient. In 2012, Cohen and his wife, Meredith Vieira, were invited to host and chair an adult stem cell conference at the Vatican. Scientists would be gathering in Rome to discuss stem cell...

With her son's illness in complete remission, New York City medical examiner Laurie Montgomery returns to work-and finds her first case back to be a dangerous puzzle of the highest order, involving organized crime and two start- up biotech companies caught in a zero-sum game...

That a tiny collection of cells can divide, multiply, and transform into the proper combination of lung cells, brain cells, bone, muscle, and more-eventually becoming a fully formed human being-is often referred to as the miracle of life. But at the cellular level, this is the story of stem cells, cellular differentiation, and gene expression. This program explores these topics, detailing the different types of stem cells (embryonic and adult), and...

The ethical debate over embryonic stem cell use may have been rendered moot by pioneering research being conducted at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research in Australia, where Dr. Perry Bartlett and his team have isolated stem cells within the human brain. In this program, Dr. Bartlett discusses in detail the different types of stem cells, what research is being done with them, and how their use will have a future benefit in rebuilding...