Professor Siddharthan Chandran is Director of the Euan MacDonald Centre for Motor Neurone Disease Research at the University of Edinburgh. Stem cells have heralded a revolution in research, offering genuine possibilities for the discovery and delivery of new treatments. Professor Chandran will explore the myths and hype surrounding stem cells and present the potential promise research in this area could bring to patients with neurodegenerative conditions. This lecture is part of the Medical Detectives, a series of public lectures that show how keen detective work is still essential for 21st century doctors: http://www.ed.ac.uk/news/events/medical-detectives/ Recorded on 1 November 2012 in the Anatomy Lecture Theatre at the University of Edinburgh.