Potential Stem Cell Breakthrough: Useful cell-lines without destroying embryos

[Sean]

http://www.cnn.com/2005/TECH/science....ap/index.html

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Harvard scientists announced they've discovered a way to fuse adult skin cells with embryonic stem cells, a promising breakthrough that could lead to the creation of useful stem cells without first having to create and destroy human embryos. The scientists said they were able to show in their early research that the fused cell "was reprogrammed to its embryonic state." Such a breakthrough could have the effect of taming a biting national debate about the ethics of stem-cell research, but not any time soon. "If future experiments indicate that this reprogrammed state is retained after removing the embryonic stem cell DNA -- currently a formidable technical hurdle -- the hybrid cells could theoretically be used to produce embryonic stem cells lines that are tailored to individual patients without the need to create and destroy human embryos," said a summary of the research reported on the Science journal site. Researcher Kevin Eggan stressed, however, that the technology is preliminary. "I can't stress enough that this technology is not ready for prime time right now,"

[belverron]

We can only hope they've got something.