August 4, 2009

Canadian researchers have, for the first time, isolated special stem cells from human umbilical cord tissue and conducted experiments showing they can be used to regenerate tissue.

The findings, published today in the Public Library of Science journal, provide realistic hope that scientists will one day be able to harness those cells to treat specific ailments or diseases, according to John Davies, professor at the Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering at the University of Toronto and lead author of the study.

It’s a development that has been in the works for several years after Dr. Davies discovered that umbilical cord tissue is a vast and potentially inexhaustible source of “mesenchymal stem cells” which can differentiate into a variety of cell types.

Read the full story at the Globe and Mail.