Stem cells get real

Stem cells are the fountain of youth–or the tools of Satan. It depends on whom you ask. Somewhere in between are pioneering companies making incredible strides in medicine. And while it may be decades before an injection will repair a damaged spine, over the next few years we’ll see stem cells speed drug development, eliminate unsafe medicines and create better diagnostic tests. In this special report, Forbes takes a look at the growing promise of this miraculous science.