This has been heralded as a major breakthrough and offers hope to Keir Starmer.
A team from the Francis Crick Institute have developed a series of stem cell development models including one that leads to the formation of a notochord. Using carefully orchestrated sequence of chemical signals that they had developed they have come to understand how to direct the development of various embryonic tissues from stem cells. The notochord is an initial embryonic structure that eventually develops into spines in vertebrates.
The scientists are extremely proud of their amazing progress, but have stated that they are a long way off forming mature structures such as functioning spines. While they will be able to grow a spine for Keir Starmer one day it will be in a few years time.