JERUSALEM, Oct. 3 (Xinhua) -- Israeli and U.S. researchers found that embryonic stem cells, used for disease treatments and medical researches, may contain cancer mutations, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HUJI) reported on Thursday.
Embryonic stem cells, which originate in a few-days-old fertilized eggs, are differentiated into each type of cell in the human body.
In medicine, stem cells are used for various purposes, such as bone marrow and umbilical cord blood transplantations. Many other uses are still under development, such as treatments for diabetes and blindness.
There is also hope that in the future whole organs from stem cells could be created, thus saving the need for organ donation.
However, in laboratory use, stem cells produce tumors in their unaligned form, and may produce tumors if transplanted this way in humans.
A new study, conducted by researchers from HUJI and Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and published in the journal Cell Stem Cell, found that the similarity between embryonic stem cells and cancer cells may be even greater than what is considered so far.
The researchers found that stem cells spontaneously collect cancerous mutations previously detected in human tumors.
http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2019-10/04/c_138446747.htm
Embryonic stem cells, which originate in a few-days-old fertilized eggs, are differentiated into each type of cell in the human body.
In medicine, stem cells are used for various purposes, such as bone marrow and umbilical cord blood transplantations. Many other uses are still under development, such as treatments for diabetes and blindness.
There is also hope that in the future whole organs from stem cells could be created, thus saving the need for organ donation.
However, in laboratory use, stem cells produce tumors in their unaligned form, and may produce tumors if transplanted this way in humans.
A new study, conducted by researchers from HUJI and Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and published in the journal Cell Stem Cell, found that the similarity between embryonic stem cells and cancer cells may be even greater than what is considered so far.
The researchers found that stem cells spontaneously collect cancerous mutations previously detected in human tumors.
http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2019-10/04/c_138446747.htm