Researchers working on stem cells say they have made a major discovery which may help the development of personalised medical treatments.
Scientists in Japan have shown stem cells can be made just by dipping blood cells into acid using mouse cells.
Stem cells can transform into any tissue and are already being trialled for healing the eye, heart and brain.
The latest development, published in the journal Nature, could make the technology cheaper, faster and safer.
The BBC reports the breakthrough was achieved in mouse blood cells, but research is now taking place to achieve the same results with human blood.
"It's exciting to think about the new possibilities these findings offer us, not only in regenerative medicine, but cancer as well," said Dr Haruko Obokata from the Riken Centre for Developmental Biology.
