Scientists in Canada and the UK today moved even closer to the ethical conduction of stem cell research, leading scientists say. The experiment has the potential to eradicate the need for destroying embryos in the name of science, a practice which has warranted stark opposition since the practice began.

In the past, cells from embryos were used in stem cell research for their ‘pluripotence’; stem cells from an embryo have the potential to become any one of the 220 types of human cell. The research team, led by Dr Keisuke Kaji, has found a way to genetically modify human skin cells into a ‘pluripotent’ state: experts are thrilled at the potential breakthrough brought to the field.

US public funding for stem cell research is conditional upon a limited use of embryonic cells, so the ramifications of the progress could be far reaching and incredibly beneficial to the scientific community in years to come. This study follows on from a combined US and Japanese investigation into the pluripotent properties of skin cells in November 2007 which was invalidated because of the methods used to achieve pluripotency; in the 2007 study, viruses were used to modify the the cells rendering them susceptible to cancerous mutation. The new study has uncovered a way for cells to be modified without the use of viruses; Professor Sir Ian Wilmut, director of the Edinburgh center conducting the reasearch said that “there is hope that the promise of regenerative medicine could soon be met.”

There is no doubt that the path to the successful use of stem cell research will be a long and arduous one, but this discovery is certainly a step in the right direction.

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