A joint research team from South Korea and Germany said Friday they have created stem cells that have the potential to help treat people suffering from dementia and spinal cord trauma.

Scientists from Konkuk University and the Max Planck Institute said they have successfully used somatic cells from mice to create so-called induced neural stem cells (iNSCs) that can be cultivated for over a year under laboratory conditions.

The iNSCs have also been injected into the brains of mice and differentiated into various nerve cells without growing into malignant tumors.

"The discovery marks the first time ordinary somatic cells have been artificially engineered to become adult stem cells," said Han Dong-wook, a professor of stem cell biology at Konkuk, who led the research.

He said that because the stem cells did not become malignant tumors, the latest breakthrough marks a solid step forward for scientists.

In the past, scientists were able to create induced pluripotent stem cells from somatic cells but they all caused cancerous growth, making them impossible to use. The use of embryonic stem cells held considerable potential although research in this field involved the use of ova, a practice criticized for ethical reasons. 

"The latest discovery could be applied in the future to find treatment for incurable neurological disease and other forms nervous system trauma," the Korean researcher said.

The joint research, funded by South Korea's Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, has been published in the latest online issue of the international journal Cell Stem Cell. (Yonhap News)