The discovery that adult cells could be ‘reprogrammed’ and converted into stem cells caused a great deal of excitement among scientists. There are high hopes that this new technology will help us study, understand and eventually treat disease. But researchers still face a number of challenges, as shown by several recent studies.

The ability to convert one cell type into another has caused great excitement in the stem cell field. Two techniques exist: one reprograms somatic cells into pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells), the other converts somatic cells directly into other types of specialized cells by transdifferentiation. These techniques raise high hopes that patient-personalized cell therapies will become a reality in the not-so-distant future.

About ESTOOLS

The ESTOOLS project aimed to develop the tools and knowledge required for application of human embryonic stem (ES) cells in industry and medicine. It was the largest consortium of researchers studying human ES cells in Europe. The project teamed up 21 research groups, bringing together more than 150 scientists in 10 countries. It was the first EU-funded project focused entirely on human embryonic stem cells.

Triggered by the open letter to senior editors of peer review journals publishing in the field of stem cell biology published on this site last year,  New Scientist this week published their analysis of "publication dynamics" in the field of induced pluripotentⁱ stem (iPS) cell research.  They found that researchers in the US get their papers published faster, and in higher-profile journals, than rivals elsewhere.