Stem cell promising developments

Study: Stem cell transplant holds promise STANFORD, Calif. (UPI) -- U.S. researchers said they found a way to transplant blood-forming stem cells into the bone marrow of mice, effectively replacing their immune systems. The discovery is a small but significant step in mouse studies aimed at transplanting adult stem cells to create a new immune system for people with autoimmune or genetic blood diseases, Stanford University researchers said in a news release. Many aspects of the technique must be adapted before testing can begin on humans, said Dr. Irving Weissman, a co-senior author of the study and director of the Stanford Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine. Weissman said the work was done on mice that offered a poor mimic for the human immune system. Still, he suggested the remaining hurdles could eventually be overcome. 'It is essentially a surgical strike against the blood-forming stem cells,' Weissman said of the technique his team studied. The team injected mice with molecules that latch on to specific proteins on the surface of the blood-forming stem cells, effectively destroying the cells. The study was published in the latest issue of Science. "