DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Research and Markets has announced the addition of the "Defining the Future of the Stem Cell Industry - Interviews with Stem Cell Industry Executives" report to their offering.

Stem cell research has been in process for over five decades. Stem cells have a unique ability to divide and replicate repeatedly, as well as an unspecialized nature that allows them to differentiate into a wide variety of specialized cell types. In a developing embryo, stem cells can differentiate into all of the embryonic tissues. In adult organisms, stem and progenitor cells act as a repair system for the body, replenishing specialized cells.

Stem cells are primitive cells found in all multi-cellular organisms that are characterized by self-renewal and the capacity to differentiate into mature cell types.

Several broad categories of stem cells exist, including:

- Embryonic stem cells, derived from blastocysts

- Perinatal stem cells, obtained during the period immediately before and after birth

- Adult stem cells, found in adult tissues

- Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells), produced by genetically reprogramming adults cells

- Cancer stem cells, which give rise to clonal populations of cells that form tumors or disperse in the body

The possibilities arising from these characteristics have resulted in great commercial interest, with potential applications ranging from the use of stem cells as research tools, to utilization in cell therapies and integration into 3D printed tissues and organs. Additionally, the ability to use stem cells to improve drug target validation and toxicology screening is of intense interest to the pharmaceutical industry.

Rapid Technological Innovation

As a result of this technological innovation, the stem cell industry is undergoing rapid change. As of July 2017, a search for stem cells yields the following results:

- 5,932 Clinical Trials - Search conducted via ClinicalTrials.gov, a global registry of clinical trials that contains approximately 3/4th of trials worldwide, using the terms stem cell or stem cells

- 45,283 Patents - Search performed using the United State Patent and Trademark Office website, USPTO.gov, using the terms stem cell or stem cells

- 296,399 Scientific Papers - Search performed on PubMed.gov, a global database of scientific publications maintained by the NIH, using the terms stem cell or stem cells

- Google Trends identifies that stem cell terms are widely searched in countries worldwide, led by Singapore, China, UK, USA, and Australia - Google Trends is a service of Google Inc. that identifies how frequently a particular search term is entered relative to total search volume worldwide

Undoubtedly, there is enormous interest surrounding the stem cell industry. However, this rapid technological changes leaves all industry participants wondering, what will be the future directions for the stem cell industry over the next 5, 10, or 15 years?

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/jcz5bf/defining_the