Stem Cells Redux

Sometimes after a false start- such as the data fiasco in Korea- the science eventually catches up. So the early report of reprogramming skin cells to behave like stem cells has now been confirmed in humans, and then duplicated by another lab-using a slightly different set of genes.
So it looks like it works. This means we may be able to get a supply of cells that act like stem cells without dealing with embryos whatsoever. That would be a leap forward, especially for those reserachers who are dependent upon NIH policy decisions dictated by the White House.
In effect, it will depoliticize the field.
Next on the agenda- make sure the new programming tools do not, for example, make these cells into cancer cells.