US Scientists Make Embryonic Stem Cells From Adult Skin

US Scientists Make Embryonic Stem Cells From Adult Skin

US Scientists Make Embryonic Stem Cells From Adult Skin
Biotechnology News

For the first time, US researchers have cloned embryonic stem cells from adult cells, a breakthrough on the path towards helping doctors treat a host of diseases. The embryonic stem cells -- which were created by fusing an adult skin cell with an egg cell that had been stripped of genetic material -- were genetically identical to the donors. The hope is that cloned embryonic stem cells, which are capable of transforming into any other type of cell in the body, could be used in patient-specific regenerative therapy to repair or replace an individual's organs damaged by diseases including cancer, heart disease and Alzheimer's disease. The team of researchers, led by Robert Lanza, of the Massachusetts-based company Advanced Cell Technology, used a technique that had succeeded last year with infant skin cells.

Source