TORONTO<!-- /dateline --> — A team of Canadian scientists has made a discovery about how human embryonic stem cells develop that could change the direction of research into what has been dubbed the Holy Grail of regenerative medicine.
Embryonic stem (ES) cells give rise to every tissue in the body — from the liver and heart to the bones and brain. Scientists around the world are working to understand how they might be harnessed to cure a wide variety of diseases, from growing a whole new organ to replacing brain cells damaged by Parkinson's or Alzheimer's.