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Scientists have succeeded in turning embryonic stem cells into ones that generate cartilage, paving the way for new treatments of diseases such as arthritis. The researchers, based at the 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ of Manchester and the Central Manchester 51¹ú²úÊÓƵ Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, are confident that the technique can be used to mass produce cartilage-producing cells, called chondrocytes. They will now test how well the cells repair cartilage in animal experiments, and hope the breakthrough will lead to better and cheaper treatments within a decade. The researchers believe that the principles could be adapted to produce other types of cell for a range of clinical uses.