The race to craft stem cells that have the virtues, but not the notoriety, of their embryonic brethren faces its final hurdle: becoming safe enough to help patients.
Researchers have unveiled a flurry of advances in recent months in the development of “induced pluripotent” stem cells. “The induced pluripotent stem cell field is probably one of the most fast-moving areas in all of biology,” says researcher Leonard Zon of Children’s Hospital in Boston.