28May2009
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Stem cell breakthrough gets closer to the clinic (AFP)
The quest for versatile, grow-in-a-dish transplant tissue took a step towards clinical use Thursday when researchers announced they have found a safe way to transform skin cells into stem cells.
Researchers say the method is so promising they hope to apply for approval to begin clinic trials by the middle of next year.
“This is the first safe method of generating patient specific stem cells,” said study author Robert Lanza, the chief scientific officer at Stem Cell & Regenerative Medicine International.
[…]
That achievement conjured the distant vision of an almost limitless source of transplant material that would be free of controversy, as it would entail no cells derived from embryos.
