These cures are no longer science fiction - The Globe and Mail: Stem cells are unspecialized cells that can renew themselves indefinitely. This means they can generate specialized cells, such as muscle cells and heart cells. So if stem cells in a lab can be coaxed into producing different specialized cells, they can provide a virtually unlimited source of cells to repair or replace damaged or diseased cells and tissues. Some of their possible uses include creating fully functional heart tissue ready for grafting on to a damaged heart; repairing spinal cord injuries using nerve stem cells; restoring vision lost through diabetes and macular degeneration; stimulating stem cells in the brain to reduce the effects of stroke and “curing” diabetes with pancreatic stem cells that produce insulin.
This all sounds exactly like what is done by the Voltairian cellogists of L. Ron Hubbards masterful "Mission: Earth."