Dr. Ernest McCulloch dies at 84; he and research partner were first to isolate and identify a stem cell
Saturday, February 5, 2011 - 01:00
in Health & Medicine
His pioneering work with biophycisist James E. Till opened the door to bone marrow transplants and to what researchers believe eventually will be a host of treatments for a broad spectrum of diseases.Dr. Ernest McCulloch, who with biophysicist James E. Till was the first to isolate and identify a stem cell, opening the door immediately to bone marrow transplants and eventually to what researchers believe will be a host of treatments for a broad spectrum of diseases ranging from spinal cord injuries to Alzheimer's, died Jan. 20 in Toronto, just two weeks shy of the 50th anniversary of the publication of the pair's seminal discovery. He was 84.