According to Eric Kurzrock, professor of paediatrics, this is the first time that candidate adult stem cells of the bladder lining have been identified. The significance of the finding is that it raises hopes that these cells may one day be used to regenerate bladders that are not working efficiently or are damaged, such as in children with spina bifida or adults with spinal cord injury or bladder cancer.
This adds to the body of research that has already identified stem cells that can regenerate many of the body's other organs. The cells found are good candidates for bladder stem cells partly because they were found to have many of the qualities of stem cells discovered in other organs.
