Check this out:
Quote:
A recent discovery in stem cell research is no minor event: researchers have figured out how to reprogram adult cells into a state that is nearly indistinguishable from that of embryonic, pluripotent stem cells. This is huge news that promises to accelerate the pace of research in the field.
The problem has always been that cells exist in distinct states. A skin cell, for instance, has one set of genes essential for its specific function activated, and other sets of genes turned off; an egg cell has different patterns of gene activation and inactivation. Just taking the DNA from a skin cell and inserting it into the egg cell isn't necessarily going to create a functional egg cell, because genes essential for egg cells may be switched off in the skin cell DNA, and we don't know how to specifically switch them on. The process of somatic cell nuclear transfer has been hit or miss for that reason, with very high failure rates—scientists are basically trying to make the right configuration of genes switch on by giving the nucleus a good hard kick, and hoping that something in the cells will reconfigure the pattern of gene activation into something appropriate.
http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2007/11/stem_cell_breakthrough.php
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LsxBhBsLNg8
Basicly, what they can do is take some of your skin cells, and turn them into stem cells using a virus, wich can then be turned into any other kind of cell. But the technique is rather crude, and there's a chance the cells will get cancer.
What they hope to do is to find a more efficient method, so the cells aren't as likely to get cancer and so they might not have to use viruses.
What this means is that in a matter of years, within our lifetime, we might be able to take a skin/hair/blood sample, send it to a laboratory/hospital, wait a few months, and then you've got yourself a brand new heart/kidney/liver/entire body, without using any fetuses (wich might have ethical issues), or cells from someone else (wich your body might reject; not mine, don't want it, kill it).
This could become the best thing since... whatever was the best thing before sliced bread!