Source: BBC News
Date: July 20, 2005
Summary:
BBC News reports on a new finding about the role stem cells play in human development that could lead to treatments for babies with birth defects:
"A discovery of how stem cells form the neck and shoulders could help babies born with birth defects. Scientists had thought muscle and bone tissue in the neck and shoulders was made from entirely distinct and separate types of stem cells. Dr Georgy Koentges and colleagues were able to show this was not the case. By following the development of animal embryos they found one stem cell group made not only muscles in the neck and shoulder, but also the skeletal structures where these muscles attached. They believe the findings will shed light on diseases where things go wrong with the development of such structures."
