"Huge step forward" in stem cells

Adult cells regress safely, report says
By Rob Stein
The Washington Post
09/26/2008

WASHINGTON — Scientists are reporting that they have overcome a major obstacle to using a promising alternative to embryonic stem cells, bolstering the prospects for bypassing the political and ethical tempest that has embroiled hopes for a new generation of medical treatments.

The researchers said they found a safe way to coax adult cells to regress into an embryonic state, alleviating what had been the most worrisome uncertainty about developing the cells into potential cures.

"We have removed a major roadblock for translating this into a clinical setting," said Konrad Hochedlinger, a Harvard University stem-cell researcher whose research was published online Thursday by the journal Science.

The development is the latest in the rapidly advancing and politically charged field of stem-cell research. the rest