Local scientists have notched another achievement in embryonic stem cell research.

A team led by Professor Moon Shin-yong at Seoul National University said Wednesday that it had succeeded in differentiating insulin-secreting cells by directly injecting protein into human embryonic stem cells.

The research team’s method is different from the existing technique of modifying genes to differentiate human’s embryonic stem cells into a specific cell type.

The researchers said that insulin-secreting cells, which comprise the cellular development stage before they become pancreatic cells, were successfully created from the injected stem cells.

A related study will appear in the July edition of Molecular Therapy, the monthly publication of the American Society of Gene Therapy (ASGT).