7/27/2010 PERMALINK
Scientists 'reprogram' mouse fat cells into clinically useful stem cells. Scientists from the Monash Institute of Medical Research have 'reprogrammed' adult mouse fat cells and neural cells to become stem cells that can differentiate into a variety of different cells (pluripotency). The cells, called 'induced pluripotent stem cells' (iPS), are nearly identical to the naturally occurring pluripotent stems cells, such as embryonic stem cells, which are highly pluripotent, in short supply and their access restricted in the U.S.