Scientists in Newcastle have made a breakthrough which will revolutionise medical treatment and potentially end the misery for millions of sick people.

The team at the Centre for Life have managed to grow cells that can ultimately be used to repair damaged organs, heart muscles and even pancreatic cells that will produce insulin and lead to a cure for diabetes.

They say that eventually they will be able to grow complete organs for transplant and do away with the need for donors, easing the ever-growing waiting list.

Using human embryos, Prof Alison Murdoch, Prof Tom Strachan and the team have, for the first time, grown cells capable of reproducing themselves - able to become any material in the body.

The breakthrough represents a major step towards being able to treat otherwise incurable diseases.

Prof Murdoch said: "This research could potentially be used in every aspect of medicine, totally revolutionising the way we treat disease. The possible therapeutic uses are almost endless and could help in the fight against diseases ranging from diabetes to Parkinson's. And for the couples who have donated these embryos, we hope that by understanding the very early stages of embryo development it will help us to improve IVF techniques."

She added: "Complete replacement organs are a long, long way off but we are already growing pancreatic cells and heart cells which is a major achievement."

This first cell line was derived from stem cells extracted from a donated embryo in March.

Last night Prof Murdoch said the research would not have been possible without the generosity of North-East couples who donated more than 100 embryos to the research programme.

"The stem cells have been grown from embryos donated by couples who have gone through IVF treatment in Newcastle," she explained.

"None of them could not have been used in IVF treatment but I think it is important for these couples to know what an important role they have played in this research."

Coinciding with a similar announcement by Kings College London, yesterday, the research at Newcastle takes the process a step closer to potentially treating previously incurable illnesses.

Like a new drug, the research now has to undergo rigorous checks and research before the cells can be injected into people.

A spokeswoman for the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority said last night they welcomed the news.

"What is fantastic about this is the cells will be placed in a stem cell bank so they can be used by other scientists and this should speed up this vital research in the UK."

Professor Sir George Radda, chief executive of the Medical Research Council, which manages the Stem Cell Bank, said: "This is an exciting day for UK science. Stem cells offer new hope for treatments, and even cures, for many common diseases, but research is needed to understand how they work and how their potential could be harnessed."

Paul Ganon, spokesman for the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children, said the end result does not justify the means if human embryos have been used in any part of the testing process.

He said: "This is not a price worth paying for therapies. We have members who are disabled or suffer from long-standing illnesses and I think I speak for all of them when I say that if human embryos, human life, has been wasted in the development of therapies for their conditions, they would not take them."

This treatment could change my life

Dorothy Kay's quality of life would improve beyond recognition if she could undergo a liver transplant.

But aged 73 and with a heart condition, the retired dental assistant knows there is little doctors will be able to do.

She yesterday welcomed the new stem cell research which could one day mean cells being injected into the body, carrying messages for it to repair itself.

"This is just tremendous," said Mrs Kay, who lives in Cramlington with her husband Alan.

"My quality of life at the moment is virtually nil but I think this kind of treatment would make such a difference to my life."

Mrs Kay has suffered from Primary Biliary Cirrhosis for 20 years. It leaves her chronically tired and is new confined to a wheelchair.

Her immune system has started to attack her heart muscle, gradually destroying it.

"A treatment that almost re-programme's an organ so that it re-builds itself is wonderful," she says.

"I know there are ethical arguments about using embryos for research but I think that it would be unethical not to use them when they can make such a difference to people's lives."

A revolution in the making

Stem cells are "master" cells with the ability to develop into different kinds of tissue.

Stimulated by the right chemicals, they could be turned into brain neurons, heart muscle, bone, or insulin-producing pancreatic cells.

Some of the potential future uses of this stem cell research are:

* To grow pancreatic cells that will produce insulin and cure Type I diabetes. The cells would be injected into the body.

* To grow heart muscle cells that can, again, be injected into the body and literally "repair" the damaged heart muscle.

* Growing nerve cells that can be used to treat diseases like Parkinsons.

* Improving IVF techniques through a greater understanding of the early stages of embryo development.

* Growing complete organs that could be used in transplant.

* Growing skin cells on a matrix that can be used to treat burns victims and in other plastic surgery applications.

* Ultimately, manipulating these basic cells to repair any part of the body could totally revolutionise modern medicine.