Published on Mar 25, 2012

(KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) - A joint research team from South Korea and Germany said on Friday they have created stem cells that have the potential to help treat people suffering from dementia and spinal cord trauma.

Scientists from Konkuk University and the Max Planck Institute said they have successfully used somatic cells from mice to create so-called induced neural stem cells (iNSCs) that can be cultivated for over a year under laboratory conditions.

The iNSCs have also been injected into the brains of mice and differentiated into various nerve cells without growing into malignant tumors.

'The discovery marks the first time ordinary somatic cells have been artificially engineered to become adult stem cells,' said Prof Han Dong Wook, a professor of stem cell biology at Konkuk, who led the research.

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Scientists develop stem cells that may help treat dementia