Sydney, July 29 - The humble sea sponge could potentially advance stem cell research, according to scientists.

Led by Bernie Degnan, professor at the University of Queensland (UQ), the research team found sponges had stem cells remarkably similar to those currently being tested for use in regenerative medicine in humans.

'It turns out that sponges have features which we try to engineer,' Degnan said.

Basically the reason people are attracted to embryonic stem cells is because they have the potential to give rise to a whole lot of other cell types and, using sponges, we're trying to figure out how that actually happens at the most fundamental levels.

Making stem cells that can turn into any cell type in the body is like the Holy Grail in stem cell medicine. Sea sponges make stem cells with this capacity every day.

By identifying the similarities between sponge and human stem cells, the researchers may be able to reveal the most important features of stem cell function.