pluripotent stem cells
Didn't SCLL just apply for a patent in this area?
It's been known for decades that the placenta and amniotic fluid contain a large number of cells shed from the developing embryo. "These cells could be harvested, grown outside the body and used," Atala says. Unlike "true" stem cells, however, these cells were predestined to grow into only one type of cell, or a limited type of other cells.
"We wanted to see if there was a true stem cell population within these fluid, pluripotent stem cells which could give rise to multiple cell types," Atala explains. Pluripotent cells are capable of differentiating into many different types of cells.
