Making Stem Cells from Blood Cells

“Blood drawn with a simple needle stick can be coaxed into producing stem cells that may have the ability to form any type of tissue in the body.” This according to three new studies. Because the current methods of extracting stem cells are so laborious, this new method could become very significant. Wired Science says that, “Because taking blood is safe, fast and efficient compared to current stem cell harvesting methods, some of which include biopsies and pretreatments with drugs, researchers hope that blood-derived stem cells could one day be used to study and treat diseases.”