We develop stem cell technology for potential use in diabetes research and treatment.  Our research has led to a patent-pending method for generation of adult stem cells from cells isolated from tissues.  While embryonic stem cells are capable of differentiation into all of the various cells of the body, adult stem cells are more limited in differentiation capacity generally including the cell types that comprise the tissue of origin.  Adult stem cells are now used for transplantation therapy of blood disorders, e.g., leukemia.  Our present focus is on the application of adult stem cells to therapeutic replacement of endocrine organs that produce hormones essential to physiological regulation of the body.  While use of embryonic stem cells involves controversial ethical issues and complex differentiation procedures, we use tissue-derived adult stem cell lines with demonstrated differentiation capacity for our research.  In addition to treatment of diabetes, our novel stem cell generation technology may provide therapeutic options to other diseases or conditions resulting from death or degeneration of specific cells including, for example, age-related hearing loss, macular degeneration, muscular dystrophy, heart attack, and congestive heart failure, Parkinson’s disease, etc.