Editors   Breakthrough: Induced Stem Cells Now Made Cancer Free   3/6/2009 9:30:00 AM    
Since 2007, scientists have been able to reprogram adult stem cells, like skin, into (artificial) embryonic stem cells by using viruses or genes. However, these inserted viruses or genes had the potential to cause cancer or other problems.

Dr. Rudolf Jaenisch' stem cell research team at MIT and the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research in Cambridge, Mass., recently found a way to ...

Editors   Further Advance in Artificial Stem Cells - Blood Platelets Created   2/9/2009 12:28:00 PM    1 comment
Kyoto University's Shinya Yamanaka and University of Tokyo's Naoya Takayama were the first in the world to generate induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS) cells (think artificial embryonic stem cells) using skin cells from mice in 2006, then in humans in November 2007. They have now proceeded to the next step by creating blood platelets using these cells.

Editors   Breakthrough: Australia Creates its First 'Artificial' Embryonic Stem Cells from Skin Cells   2/2/2009 9:30:00 AM    
Australian scientists have produced their nation's first human induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells - cells that act like embryonic stem cells but instead were made from adult skin cells.

They now join the club of nations, Japan and the United States, that can skirt around the ethical issues of obtaining stem cells from embryos.

Editors   Breakthrough: World's First Extinct Animal Brought Back to Life - Through Cloning   2/1/2009 11:30:00 AM    
For the first time ever, an extinct animal has been resurrected through cloning.

A wild mountain goat, called a Pyrenean ibex, died out in the year 2000 in northern Spain. Skin samples were saved from the animal and kept frozen in liquid nitrogen.