2005, Woo Suk Hwang and his colleagues told the world that they could make embryonic stem (ES) cells from cloned human embryos with an efficiency that astounded-and thrilled-their colleagues. In roughly one out of every 12 tries, the South Korean teamreported, they could produce ES cell lines that were a genetic match to patients. Scientists hoped to use such cells to probe the genetic triggers of diseases such as diabetes and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Some dreamed of using them as the raw material for developing new tissues and cells that could treat previously incurable maladies.
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