Scientists grow cells replicating early development of the heart

Scientists have grown embryo-like structures that produced human blood cells, raising new possibilities for regenerative medicine.

- Hannah Devlin Science correspondent

The ability to generate blood stem cells in the laboratory could one day make it possible to treat patients in need of bone marrow transplants using their own cells.

The approach is the latest in a rapidly advancing field in which embryo models are created from stem cells without the need for eggs or sperm, opening a window on the earliest stages of human development.

"It was an exciting moment when the blood-red colour appeared in the dish. It was visible even to the naked eye," said Dr Jitesh Neupane, a researcher at Cambridge’s Gurdon Institute and first author of the study.