THERE’S a type of stem cell that does not trigger rejection, even in
transplants from one species to another, researchers have discovered. That means
stem cells from a donor could be transplanted into anyone else, for example to
regrow bone, replace cartilage or repair damaged hearts.
The finding comes as a surprise. “It does go against our common understanding
of the immune system,” says Annemarie Moseley, chief executive of Osiris
Therapeutics in Baltimore, a company working on the “mesenchymal stem cells”
(MSCs).
Preventing the immune system attacking implanted stem cells is a massive
problem. Stem cells derived from cloned…
