Madison, Wis. – James Thomson acknowledged that scientists are notoriously bad at predicting timelines, so when he was asked about the timing of potential therapeutic stem cell research breakthroughs at the World Stem Cell Summit, he was naturally cautious.
Thomson, speaking on the potential future benefits of induced pluripotent stem cells, has been more cautious than some stem cell research advocates when addressing its possibilities. It’s not that he isn’t enthusiastic about the potential of the research he ignited 10 years ago when he became the first scientist to isolate and develop methods to culture human embryonic stem cells, but he has no illusions about the degree of difficulty that lies ahead.