Can embryonic stem cells cure cancer?

For the first time, stem cell researchers at the University of Minnesota have coaxed human embryonic stem cells to create cancer-killing cells in the laboratory, paving the way for future treatments for various types of cancers (or tumors). The research will be published in the Oct. read more

Next, the researchers will test whether the human embryonic stem cell-derived natural killer cells can target cancer cells in animal models. The study will be published in the Oct. 15 issue of the Journal of Immunology. read more

Embryonic stem cells have not yet developed into tissue or body parts and are the road map for the body, the blueprint of the future child, known as undifferentiated cells. This means they have the ability to grow into any cell at all, including cancerous cells. read more