Question: if stem cells are similare to cancer cells as they keep multiplying, in the future if a person needed an organ translat, and that organ had been made from stem cells, could the cells carry on multipling and become a danger for the person, like a shorter life or the risk of death? if so could using stem cells in the future as a normal day-to-day thing, with the dangers, like cancer could the cells become a deases of their own?

James Chan answered on 18 Mar 2011:

Hi Tierney, you are clearly a budding scientist!!
You have hit on one of the most important questions we are dealing with in stem cell research. Of course we are all trying to help people, but we have to be sure it is safe first. First, we have to avoid doing harm.
you are right, stem cells can multiply and proliferate. But when they have been given the signal to turn into a specialised cell, then it can not longer multiple. BUT the worry is that the stem cell turns into a cancerous cell that does not know how to switch off and stop multiplying! and that would be a scary situation. Luckily, it seems like this is not a particularly big worry but we have to be sure and many people are now starting to work on this. You should come join in!