The healing power of embryonic stem cells

Embryonic stem cells are formed so early in an organism's development that they have an almost magical ability to grow into any kind of cell and perform any function. For some time now, researchers have sought ways to recruit these adaptable cells to replace others that have been damaged by diseases like cancer and Alzheimer's. But recently, it was seen that embryonic stem don't just replace damaged cells, they also release chemical signals that prompt the defective cells to reboot and start developing properly. After examining tissue that was repaired by the injection of embryonic stem cells, it was determined that only one in five of the repaired cells were actually descendants of the injected embryonic stem cells. The rest repaired themselves after receiving signals from the injected stem cells. link