Source: Xinhua

05-07-2009 10:31

Special Report:   Tech Max

JERUSALEM, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem discovered a method to potentially eliminate the tumor-risk factor in utilizing human embryonic stem cells, said the university on Wednesday.

The researchers' work paves the way for further progress in the promising field of stem cell therapy.(File photo)

The researchers' work paves the way for further progress in the promising field of stem cell therapy, said the press release of the university sent to Xinhua.

According to the release, human embryonic stem cells are theoretically capable of differentiation to all cells of the mature human body (and are hence defined as "pluripotent").

This ability, along with the ability to remain undifferentiated indefinitely in culture, make regenerative medicine using human embryonic stem cells a potentially unprecedented tool for the treatment of various diseases, including diabetes, Parkinson's disease and heart failure.

However, a major drawback to the use of stem cells remains the demonstrated tendency of such cells to grow into a specific kind of tumor, called teratoma, when they are implanted in laboratory experiments into mice.

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