In a major breakthrough, scientists announced overnight they have generated potent stem cells from human skin which could help in the fight against major diseases and sidestep the battle over using embryonic cells. The discovery opens the door for promising research into using the blank-slate stem cells to do things like replace diseased or damaged tissues and organs without being forced to destroy embryos in the process, which has led to legal restrictions on research in the United States. The researchers in Japan and the United States have also eliminated a major treatment hurdle: skin-derived stem cells could come with a specific patient's genetic code, eliminating the risk that the body would reject transplanted tissues or organs. The new method is expected to rapidly advance research in the treatment of cancer, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, diabetes, arthritis, spinal cord injuries, strokes, burns and heart disease because scientists will have much greater access to stem cells. "(The) work is monumental in its importance to the field of stem cell science and its potential impact on our ability to accelerate the benefits of this technology to the bedside," said Deepak Srivastava, director of the Gladstone Institute of Cardiovascular Disease. "Not only does this discovery enable more research, it offers a new pathway to apply the benefits of stem cells to human disease.
" Stem cells are seen as a possible magic bullet because they can be developed into any of the 220 types of cells in the human body. But research has been limited in the United States because of ethical concerns, and very few labs have had the resources and technical expertise to work with embryonic stem cells.
