( r to create functional organs and bodi...)Advance helps explain stem cell behavior

The same basic process takes place in humans, scientists say. In fact, the process is so important and fundamental to life that it has been conserved through millions of years of evolution, and is largely the same among vertebrate animal species, whether they are fish, horses, mice or humans.

Once the process is more fully understood, it should be much more feasible to influence and control it, researchers say. If the task were spinal cord repair, for instance, the goal would be to influence cells to become certain types of spinal cord cells. This area of "molecular medicine" is one of the fastest growing fields of research today, and may ultimately lead to cures or treatments for conditions now thought to be incurable.

"You can't attempt to cure a disease or repair a problem if you don't know what molecular players are involved," Gross said. "That's what we're moving towards. We now have a better idea of some of the key components in this process."
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Source:Oregon State University