World First: Chinese Scientists Create Pluripotent Stem Cells From Pigs

Scientists have managed to induce cells from pigs to transform into **pluripotent stem cells** – cells that, like **embryonic stem cells**, are capable of developing into any type of cell in the body. It is the first time in the world that this has been achieved using somatic cells (cells that are not sperm or egg cells) from any animal with hooves (known as ungulates). The implications of this achievement are far-reaching; the research could open the way to creating models for human genetic diseases, genetically engineering animals for organ transplants for humans, and for developing pigs that are resistant to diseases such as swine flu. Source "sciencedaily":[ http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090602192557.htm]

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