South Korean researchers have successfully converted human adipose stem cells into neural stem cells without involving genetic manipulation for the first time ever.
 
Seoul National University said Tuesday that a thesis on this research result by graduate school of dentistry Professor Chang Mi-sook's team was recently published in the global journal "Scientific Reports." 
 
It's a global first to induce a conversion of a mesodermal adipose stem cell into an epiblastic neural stem cell.
 
Various conversion induction technologies using embryonic stem cells have been developed but their clinical application was restricted due to concerns of cancer when patients received stem cell transplants.
 
Also, adult stem cells such as adipose stem cells carry a smaller risk of cancer but their conversion capacity is much lower than that of embryonic stem cells.
 
The latest finding is expected to mark a turning point in the development of safe stem cell treatment.