New type of stem cells, fuzzy and flexible

F-class could make experiments easier, avoid ethical issues

“Don’t judge a cell by its cover” has turned out to be sage advice for stem cell scientists. They have discovered a new class of cells, generated from mouse tissue, that can be reprogrammed to become almost any cell in the body.

Called F-class cells for their fuzzy appearance in a petri dish, they were probably overlooked in the past because they don’t look like ordinary stem cells.