Medicine: Stem Cells are good things

The results of a study published in the Oct. 8 issue of Science show stem cells have special properties that allow them to rescue, or repair, heart cells. Scientists injected the stem cells into very young mouse embryos that had been engineered to develop a lethal heart disorder. While these pregnancies would normally spontaneously abort midway through gestation, half of the approximately 75 offspring were born with healthy hearts.

"The question that we asked is novel: Can embryonic stem cells injected into early mouse embryos correct congenital defects that otherwise would have resulted in embryonic death? The answer is yes."