In a dramatic scientific first, two independent research teams announced in November 1998 that they had successfully isolated and grown a special kind of cell with the potential to develop into virtually any kind of human tissue.
The breakthrough was widely hailed as a pioneering event with vast potential for biological research. Many experts believe the cells, known as embryonic stem cells, could lead to new methods of drug discovery, improve scientific understanding of developmental biology, and advance the science of tissue and organ transplantation. …
