A Seoul National University research team says it has developed a new technology to nurture a cell commonly used to treat leukemia.

The team said Thursday that it has patented the technology to cultivate hematopoietic stem cells collected from umbilical cord blood and increase their number three- to four-fold in just four days.

Team head Kang Kyung-sun said the technology is safer than conventional methods as it uses endometrium cells for nurturing hematopoietic stem cells.

The team transferred the technology to a domestic biotech firm through the university. The firm will conduct research to develop a medicine for hematopoietic stem cell transplants based on the technology.

Kang will also conduct research to transform hematopoietic stem cell into immunocytes to treat cancer and diseases of the immune system.