Other treatments could affect the same litany of diseases touted as targets for stem cell therapy: Alzheimer's, osteoporosis and Parkinson's, to name a few.

FORBES: Regenerators

When she created a strain of mice with the presenilin genes missing in their brains, the mice developed dementia and brain cell death just like Alzheimer's sufferers, but the mice had no amyloid deposits.

FORBES: Executive Health

The dominant explanation of Alzheimer's disease contends that the massive brain cell death is due to the buildup of plaques containing a protein called beta amyloid built up in the brain.

FORBES: Hope Mixes With Doubt For Alzheimer's