CELLS derived from embryonic stem cells have been used to replace entire blood systems in mice, with no sign of rejection even when the cells came from unrelated animals.
If the same applies to humans, the technique might provide an alternative to the often difficult task of finding matched donors for bone marrow transplants.
Richard Burt’s team at Northwestern University in Chicago used growth factors to turn mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs) into blood stem cells. Normally found in bone marrow, these cells give rise to red blood cells and immune cells. The team then put the modified stem cells into 17 mice whose bone marrow…
