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Despite some ethical objections, proponents of using embryonic stem cells for medical therapy have argued that the alternative -- adult stem cells -- simply does not have sufficient developmental potential. A new report from researchers at the University of Minnesota challenges that assumption.
The team identified rare cells, called multipotent adult progenitor cells (MAPCs), in bone marrow of adult mice and rats. These cells are very similar to the more common mesenchymal stem cells in appearance and in the cell markers that they express. However, like embryonic stem cells, they can proliferate through at least 80 cell doublings. In vitro, single MAPCs can be coaxed to form mesenchymal cells, as well as mesoderm, neuroectoderm, and endoderm…