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Stem cell alchemy

The extraordinary plasticity of tissue stem cells, such as the ability of blood stem cells to differentiate into liver, would intrigue even the ancient alchemists. Recent discoveries also force us to rethink cell lineage relationships and expand the potential for cell-based therapies (pages 1229–1234).

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Figure 1: In vivo tissue stem cell plasticity.

Bob Crimi

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Orkin, S. Stem cell alchemy. Nat Med 6, 1212–1213 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1038/81303

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