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Cord blood stem cell transplant hopes lifted
The holy grail is to have an "off the peg" source of unlimited numbers of "neutral" stem cells
- Dr David Grant, Leukaemia Research
A technique which may eventually remove the need for matched bone marrow transplants has been used in humans for the first time.
It is hoped that "master cells" taken from umbilical cords could be used on any patient without rejection.
The latest advance, published in the journal Nature Medicine, greatly multiplies the tiny number of cells from the cord ready for a transplant.
UK charity Leukaemia Research said this could be the "holy grail" for doctors.