A Korean research team has successfully achieved human somatic cell nuclear transfer using adult cells.
 
The CHA Medical Center's stem cell institute said human embryonic stem cells were derived through the somatic cell nuclear transfer of 35 and 75-year-old males.
 
A U.S. team produced embryonic stem cells using somatic cells of newborn babies last year, but the recent achievement marks the first time stem cells were derived from adults. Prospects for the embryonic stem cells include using them as treatment for intractable diseases, as the cells can be produced within the patients.
 
The South Korean team's accomplishment is published on the online version of the international journal Cell Stem Cell.