Blood cells from stem cells

Scientists have demonstrated that undifferentiated human embryonic stem cells can be turned into blood cells. The work, conducted at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA, demonstrates that undifferentiated stem cells can be coaxed to become primitive types of blood cells that later develop into more mature types of blood cells that, one day, may be used for transfusion or transplant technologies. "These results show an effective and efficient way to derive blood cells from these early precursors," says Dan Kaufman, hematology fellow at the University's medical school and the lead author of paper.