Cellular reprogramming for the creation of patient-specific embryonic stem cells.

The success of somatic cell nuclear transfer in mammals has opened the possibility to dedifferentiate cells from a patient into embryonic stem cells and in doing so, potentially generate all different cells and tissues of the human body. These cells could be later transplanted to the same patient without immune rejection. Whereas this principle has been demonstrated in laboratory animals, it is yet to be shown to work in primates. Herein we discuss the probability of somatic cell nuclear transfer becoming a real therapeutic alternative as well as the potential emerging dedifferentiation approaches that may eventually replace it.