BEIJING, Aug. 17 -- British scientists have announced they have succeeded in creating the world¡¯s first pure batch of nerve stem cells made from human stem cells.

    The breakthrough is important that should provide considerable help with research into neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson¡¯s and Parkinson's.

    Stem cells are so-called "master" cells that can become many kinds of tissue. Nerve stem cells are those that help build the brain and central nervous system.

    The Edinburgh team at Stem Cell Sciences were granted one of the first licences in the UK to carry out medical experiments with embryonic stem cells.

    "Being able to grow pure brain cells is an exciting prospect," said the Stem Cell Sciences chief executive, Peter Mountford.

    Dr Mountford also said the new technology could decrease the need for animal testing in drug development.

    The work comes three months after scientists at Newcastle University cloned a human embryo using donated eggs and genetic material from stem cells. Human embryos were first cloned last year by South Korean scientists.

    This was the first time a human cloned embryo had been created in Britain.

    (Agencies)