Stem Cells Grow New Immune Systems in Mice
November 26, 2007
U.S. scientists have found a way of transplanting blood-forming stem cells into the bone marrow of mice, effectively replacing their immune systems.
The Stanford University School of Medicine researchers said their achievement represents a small, but significant, step toward the goal of transplanting adult stem cells to create a new immune system for people with autoimmune or genetic blood diseases.
Many aspects of the new technique would need to be adapted before it can be tested in humans, said Dr. Irving Weissman, one of the investigators and director of the Stanford Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine.
The study appears in the journal Science.