Abstract
The future implementation of stem cell therapies to treat conditions thus far considered incurable has been envisioned as logical consequence of the fast-paced progress in stem cell research over the last few years. Still, many practical obstacles stand in the way to the routine application of these novel technologies in medicine. The conference “Stem Cell Therapies in Reparative Medicine,” held aboard the cruise vessel Majesty of the Seas (Miami, USA- Nassau, Bahamas, April 19–22, 2002), focused on the analysis of these problems from different perspectives, including developmental biology (cell proliferation, fate determination, and enrichment), immunology (allorejection and prevention of autoimmunity recurrence), and clinical therapy, emphasizing the impact of stem cell technologies on the emerging field of tissue engineering and the treatment of alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency.