It is stem cell research’s ultimate prize – stem cells made from an individual’s own cells without the need for a donated egg or embryo. Now, three research groups claim to have done just that – by reprogramming adult mouse cells into cells that are virtually indistinguishable from embryonic stem cells (ESCs). If they can repeat their success in humans, hopes are high that such cells could one day be used to regenerate healthy tissues in people with a range of illnesses.
Last year, Shinya Yamanaka and his colleagues at Kyoto University in Japan claimed to have produced ESC-like cells by…
