Human embryonic stem cells created from Skin cells

Scientists transformed skin cells into human embryonic stem cells using cloning technique that led to the creation of Dolly the sheep. The U.S. team overcame technical problems that had frustrated researchers for over a decade to create a quantity of stem cells in the body from donated skin.

After over 15 years of failure,scientist finally created human stem cells with the same technique that produced Dolly the cloned sheep, in 1996. The researchers transplanted genetic material from an adult cell into an egg whose own DNA had been removed.

They were able to reprogram human skin cells, turning them into embryonic stem cells able to transform into any other type of cells. It is an experiment that is an achievement for stem cell research. Authors of the study were a group of scientists from the ' Oregon Health & Science University and ' Oregon National Primate Research Center, United States. This result gives hope for new therapies in regenerative medicine that deals with diseases ranging from multiple sclerosis to Parkinson's, heart disease and injuries to the spinal cord. The perspective is to avoid using embryos that involves many ethical problems.


There is still much work to do to develop safe and effective treatments with stem cells but we believe this is a significant step forward in the development of cells that can be used in regenerative medicine, "the researchers conclude.