April 19, 2024

Another alternative to embryonic stem cells?

Stem cells found in hair follicles could provide an ethically non-controversial alternative to embryonic stem cells, say researchers. Writing in the journal Developmental Dynamics, researchers from the Medical College of Wisconsin and the Charles University in Prague say that neural crest cells taken from mice can differentiate into neurons, nerve supporting cells, cartilage and bone cells, smooth muscle cells and pigment cells. Preliminary data suggest that similar cells exist in the human body.