If such cells can be specifically directed to produce various specialized cells, scientists argue that patients can be treated with transplanted cells. A person paralyzed by a major spinal cord injury could possibly walk again with the introduction of new nerve cells made from human embryonic stem cells. A person with diabetes could possibly avoid insulin injections if scientists could create insulin-producing pancreatic cells. Other conditions that may also be treated with stem cells include Parkinson’s disease, muscular dystrophy, heart disease, and vision and hearing loss. Stem cell research has the promise of giving scientists new information about how cells divide, reproduce, and differentiate. This information may, in turn, lead to guidance on how to treat or prevent cancer and birth defects— problems that originate from abnormal cell division and differentiation. Another possible medical gain from stem cell research is the ability to create cell lines that can be used to test experimental drugs or cancer