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A new type of stem cell, discovered by UCSF researchers, may open new possibilities for fixing damaged parts of the body while sidestepping the politically and morally thorny issues surrounding embryonic stem cell research.
What’s more, so-called endogenous pluripotent somatic, or ePS, cells could give rise to a new line of companies hoping to harness the potential therapeutic power of the discovery.
Like embryonic stem cells, ePS cells have the ability to become several sorts of cells, such as those that make up the heart, skin, brain, pancreas and other organs. That flexibility, known as pluripotency, could be a huge help for researchers restricted from using embryonic stem cells because those cells must be harvested from embryos.
Some religious organizations, for example, oppose embryonic stem cell research because they consider embryos to be human life. As a result, conservative, anti-abortion lawmakers have largely seized on those concerns to tie up funding for research or research facilities and equipment that study embryonic stem cells.
But unlike embryonic stem cells or induced pluripotent stem cells — which scientists engineer from adult stem...
What’s more, so-called endogenous pluripotent somatic, or ePS, cells could give rise to a new line of companies hoping to harness the potential therapeutic power of the discovery.
Like embryonic stem cells, ePS cells have the ability to become several sorts of cells, such as those that make up the heart, skin, brain, pancreas and other organs. That flexibility, known as pluripotency, could be a huge help for researchers restricted from using embryonic stem cells because those cells must be harvested from embryos.
Some religious organizations, for example, oppose embryonic stem cell research because they consider embryos to be human life. As a result, conservative, anti-abortion lawmakers have largely seized on those concerns to tie up funding for research or research facilities and equipment that study embryonic stem cells.
But unlike embryonic stem cells or induced pluripotent stem cells — which scientists engineer from adult stem...