September 7, 2006 06:18 PM
Sep. 07 (CWNews.com) - Italian researchers have announced a potential breakthrough in treatment for liver and kidney disease, using stem cells taken from adult tissues, the ANSA news service reports.
A team of scientists in Florence, led by Sergio Romagnani, discovered kidney stem cells that could help repair diseased kidneys. And a separate team in Turin, led by Benedetta Bussolati, made a similar discovery of stem cells from livers.
Both teams of scientists found that the stem cells they had drawn from adult tissue could be cultivated in laboratory conditions to serve in other functions. Bussolati said that her team found the cells could "differentiate into liver cells, bone cells, blood cells, and even pancreatic cells." The diverse possible uses for these stem cells make them a viable alternative to stem cells harvested from embryonic tissue.
