One of the most promising areas of stem cellⁱ research involves transforming adult cells into embryonic stem-like cells. In a landmark study in 2006, Shinya Yamanaka and his colleagues at Kyoto University used genetic manipulation to turn mouse skin cells into induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cellsⁱ – or artificially-created stem cells.

The Bioethics-Clinical Ethics Unit at the University of Marburg in cooperation with the Stem Cell Network North Rhine Westphalia and the Institute of Science and Ethics at the University of Bonn are currently conducting an internet survey on experiences and attitudes of scientists with German citizenship, working in the field of stem cell research in Sweden, UK and the USA.

Haematopoietic stem cells (HS cells) are the body's blood bank, giving rise to all types of blood cell including leukocytes and erythrocytes. Each time an HS cell produces a mature blood cell, it also produces a replica of itself, which continues to function as an "immortal" inexhaustible stem cell. This way, our supply of HS cells - a rare cell population lodging mainly in the adult bone marrow - is never used up.

In 2007, a highly publicized paper was published in the first tier scientific journal, Nature Biotechnology. The authors described the derivation of amniotic fluid-derived stem (AFS) cells. The authors presented evidence that AFS cells differentiate into several cell types, including neurons.