The newly discovered human cells, named «cord - blood - derived embryonic - like stem cells» or CBEs, are not quite as
primitive as embryonic stem cells, which can give rise to any tissue type of the body.
To do so, they started with a human
embryonic stem cell line, which they chemically nudged to become
cells that form what's known
as the
primitive streak on the hollow ball of
cells of the early embryo.