Friday, November 30th, 2007

Stem Cells in Review

Scientists from the University of Wisconsin-Madison created genetic modifications in skin cells to coax the cells into what scientists call a pluripotent state — a condition that is essentially the same as that of embryonic stem cells. Photo courtesy Junying Yu, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Last week, researchers announced a significant advance in stem cell science, changing skin cells into cells that seem to behave like embryonic stem cells. While it remains to be seen if the findings will be replicated by other teams, and whether the new cell types are truly as flexible as pluripotent embryonic stem cells, the work has the potential to sidestep many of the ethical concerns surrounding previous research involving embryonic stem cells. Now that the dust has settled, we'll talk about the research and where the field goes from here. What will it take to translate the advance in obtaining flexible cell types into advances in medical research and treatment?

Guests

Kathy Hudson
Director, Genetics and Public Policy Center
The Johns Hopkins University
Washington, DC

John Kessler
Davee Professor of Neurology
Chairman, Department of Neurology
Director, Northwestern University's Stem Cell Institute
The Feinberg School of Medicine
Northwestern University
Chicago, Illinois