Skip to main content

Embryonic Stem Cells Debut Amid Little Media Attention

STARTING POINT: Johns Hopkins' John Gearhart announced at a July meeting that he and a colleague had cultured human embryonic stem cells. Last July, with repercussions from Scottish sheep clone Dolly yet to die down, came news of potentially even greater importance. At the 13th International Congress of Developmental Biology in Snowbird, Utah, held the week of July 12, John Gearhart, a professor of gynecology and obstetrics at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, reported

Written byRicki Lewis
| 8 min read

Register for free to listen to this article
Listen with Speechify
0:00
8:00


STARTING POINT: Johns Hopkins' John Gearhart announced at a July meeting that he and a colleague had cultured human embryonic stem cells.
Last July, with repercussions from Scottish sheep clone Dolly yet to die down, came news of potentially even greater importance. At the 13th International Congress of Developmental Biology in Snowbird, Utah, held the week of July 12, John Gearhart, a professor of gynecology and obstetrics at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, reported that he and postdoctoral fellow Michael Shamblott for seven months had cultured human embryonic stem (ES) cells. Such cells theoretically can divide and become virtually any cell type-bone or muscle, nerve or fibroblast, for example. That suggests intriguing applications, including a new tool to view development and even made-to-order human replacement parts.

Developmental biologists, familiar with the central role of ES cells in making "knockout" mice, envisioned the ability to nurture human tissues ...

Interested in reading more?

Become a Member of

The Scientist Logo
Receive full access to digital editions of The Scientist, as well as TS Digest, feature stories, more than 35 years of archives, and much more!
Already a member?
Add The Scientist as a preferred source on Google

Add The Scientist as a preferred Google source to see more of our trusted coverage.

Meet the Author

Published In

Related articles background image
August 2026 Digest cover
August 2026

Epic Fail: Sea-Monkeys Sabotage Fieldwork

When Barry Hicks set out to photograph thrombolites, thousands of unexpected visitors photobombed his underwater images.

View this Issue
Improving rAAV Production for Viral Vector Manufacturing

Improving rAAV Production for Viral Vector Manufacturing

cytiva logo
Advancing Respiratory Immunity Through Tissue-Resident Memory T Cell Research

Advancing Respiratory Immunity Through Tissue-Resident Memory T Cell Research

Miltenyi
Scientist holding a clear 384-well PCR microplate in a laboratory

What Dictates PCR Success Before Amplification Begins?

Integra Logo
Overcoming Immunotherapy Resistance in Liver Cancer

Overcoming Immunotherapy Resistance in Liver Cancer

Axion Biosystems

Products

Sino Biological Logo

Sino Biological Launches European Newsletter Campaign with Exclusive Welcome Gifts

Sino Biological Logo

Sino Biological Launches SuperNuclease ® Pro with Free Trial Program

Sino Biological Logo

Sino Biological Launches Precisely Characterized Full-Length p-Tau217 Protein to Advance Next-Generation Alzheimer’s Biomarker Assay Development

A photo of a scientist placing the Resipher device on a 96-well plate.

Resipher: Continuous Live-Cell Mitochondrial Respiration Monitoring in 96-Well Plates

Lucid Scientific logo