I don’t know if y’all have read through the entire chapter 20 yet, but the next section covers cloning. I remembered reading a recent article about new stem cell research they have been investigating, so I thought i would share. As you know, stem cell research has been an ethical concern due to the harvesting of embryos. Adult stem cells aren’t as versatile, but they have found a new twist that may cease the use of ES cells.

Scientists at the Oregon National Primate Research Center have found that dunking adult stem cells in caffeine provides the desirable environment for reprogramming of the cell. Somatic cell nuclear transfer replaces the nucleus of a cell with a nucleus from an adult cell. Caffeine presence provides the suitable condition for human cells to transform to embryonic stem cells; research is still being preformed to uncover the suitable conditions for other organisms. This could transform the way stem cells are produced and utilized.