| ■ Questions Raised About Reprogrammed Adult Stem Cells | 2010.07.23 |
| Reprogrammed adult stem cells may not offer an alternative to embryonic stem cells, according to new research. Scientists believe that reprogrammed adult stem cells (called induced pluripotent stem cells) can be used as blank cells that can become any other type of cell. The new cells could then be used in stem cell treatments and for laboratory research. Researchers at Children's Hospital Boston genetically engineered adult cells in mice to imitate embryonic stem cells but found that the reprogrammed cells retained characteristics of the tissue they once were, ABC News reported. |