An international research team, led by scientists from Tel Aviv University and Sheba Medical Center, has developed a groundbreaking method to activate adult stem cells from human bone marrow, enabling their expansion outside the body for use in regenerating bone marrow and constructing a new blood and immune system. The key insight from this study is that activating stem cells via molecular programming, rather than relying on random cell transplants, significantly enhances the success of regenerative treatments. The next step is to test this method in clinical trials, with plans to extend this approach to regenerate other tissues, including those without existing adult stem cells, such as the heart. Published in Nature Immunology (Transcriptional activation of regenerative hematopoiesis via microenvironmental sensing), this discovery could revolutionize transplant success rates for patients who have undergone intensive chemotherapy, suffer from genetic disorders, or need a bone marrow transplant but lack sufficient stem cells from a donor