The Imperial College London team converted the stem cells by growing them alongside cartilage cells.
Cartilage is the dense connective tissue which allows the smooth movement of joints. The research, in Tissue Engineering, could help treat sports injuries, hip replacements and even cosmetic surgery.
Scientists can already treat cartilage damage by growing up healthy cartilage cells by from the patient.
However, there are some concerns over this technique - such as a limited supply of cartilage cells and damage to the site they are taken from. Implants, or prostheses can also be used.
Joint replacement delay
The Imperial team say this new technique could mean stem cells could be taken from the patient, grown in a laboratory, and then transplant them after the surgery.
The research involved growing human embryonic stem cells with chondrocytes or cartilage cells in Petri dishes in the lab in a specialised system that encouraged them to change into cartilage cells.
When this was compared with just growing the human embryonic stem cells alone, the mixed stem cells and cartilage were found to have higher levels of collagen, the protein constituent of cartilage.
The converted cells were then implanted in mice on a "scaffold" for 35 days.
When this scaffold was removed, the cells were found to have formed new cartilage, which the researchers say shows they can be successfully transplanted in living tissue. The Imperial team say it could take around five years for the necessary research to be carried out to enable this technique to be used in patients.
More:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4441802.stm
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