Mighty Mice
The study Researchers at the biotech firm Novocell report the first successful use of human embryonic stem cells (HESCs) in treating a disease--diabetes--in mice. After generating HESCs from excess fertility-clinic embryos, the scientists cultured the cells for 12 days in a medium that directed them to become pancreatic cells. These were transplanted into mice whose own pancreatic cells had been deliberately destroyed, making them insulin-deficient. Within 45 days, new cells began producing fresh insulin.
What this means for us It's just a first step. In humans with Type 1 diabetes, the body destroys pancreatic cells, so the stem cells might be attacked the same way. The HESCs also produced tumors in the mice, making the method too dangerous to use yet.
Most Popular »
- Nevada Ghosts: Rare Photos From an A-Bomb Test
- A Diamond Jubilee
- Detention of Chinese Fishermen Fuels Anger With North Korea, But Rift Unlikely
- Before and After D-Day: Rare Color Photos
- Marilyn Monroe: Early Unpublished Photos
- Which Birth Control Works Best? (Hint: It's Not the Pill)
- India's Petrol Hike: Gas Goes Up, and a City Melts Down
- 10 Dangerous Products You Might Have in Your Home
- Etan Patz: After 33 Years, an Arrest in the Disappearance of the 'Milk Carton Boy'
- Vintage Vegas: Rare Photos of a Desert Boomtown
- Researchers Probe the Potential Health Benefits of Palm Oil
- A Visit with Turkey's Controversial Religious Movement
- Feeding the Planet Without Destroying It
- Bubble on the Potomac
- Falcon's Liftoff: How a Private Firm Could Change Space Exploration
- The Fatal Flight of the Superjet 100: Why Did It Slam Into a Mountain?
- Learning That Works
- The Man Who Remade Motherhood
- Bibi's Choice
- Seoul: 10 Things to Do
More News from Our Partners
Top Stories on TIME.com
Quotes of the Day »
