What are stem cells, and why might a person with damage to the brain or spinal cord be very interested in the advancement of this field?

Stem cells are undifferentiated cells, this means that it has the potential to turn into any type of specialized cell like brain cells. At this time, there is still no definitive treatment for brain injury and other brain related diseases like Parkinson's.

The ability of stem cells to function as any type of cell when instructed could mean that they can replace damaged cells in the brain. Although many researches have said that brain cells can actually regenerate, its capacity to do so is limited.