Their research may removes some of the current barriers to using stem cells, which have the inate power to renew themselves, in innovative medical therapies for those suffering from spinal cord injuries or diseases such as diabetes or Parkinson’s.

“We hope these stem cells will form the basis for treatment of many diseases and conditions that are currently considered incurable,” says Andras Nagy, of Toronto’s Mount Sinai Hospital. He is the lead author of a groundbreaking paper published online Sunday by the journal Nature.

Read the full story in the Globe and Mail.