By By David Silverberg Dec 19, 2007 in Science Last month, a major stem-cell breakthrough had everyone talking, even President Bush. But researchers at Harvard University warn the new method isn't safe for humans and they say embryonic stem cell research is still the Holy Grail of science. Digital Journal — It was the discovery of the decade, so said headlines around the world: Scientists found a way to But Harvard researchers say this might be putting the cart before the horse. Scientists at one of the world’s leading stem cell laboratories say IPS is too dangerous to implement in real situations. The method may never be safe for humans, they explain, which means pursuing more controversial techniques of stem cell replication is still necessary. Dr. George Q. Daley, a stem cell researcher at Children's Hospital Boston, For doing basic research on human cells, IPS as a method has won — it's huge. But for the ultimate goal of getting cells into a patient, it's a lot less clear. These cells may never be useful for direct therapy. Although It’s no surprise that Harvard is powering forward with its embryonic stem cell research. While more controversial, the method still has the most potential to treat human ailments ranging from severed spinal chord to heart disease. Stem cells are viewed as the Holy Grail of science because they can be developed into 220 types of cell in the human body. The main roadblock embryonic research faces is the high-profile moral mess. President Bush and his supporters claim human embryos can become human beings, saying scientists who experiment with embryos are in fact committing a form of murder. Scientists acknowledge the ethical difficulty in this field of research but they say the medical advantages outweigh the religious and moral issues. For now, leading stem cell scientists don’t want to close any doors. They want to remain open to any possible methods that can be explored in this vital field of science. Konrad Hochedlinger, a Massachusetts General Hospital lab leader, said recently: [Reprogrammed cells represent] a gigantic part of the future of stem cell research, but not the whole future. Maybe in a few years all efforts will go in this direction. But right now that would be a very foolish and maybe tragic bet. Digital Journal — It was the discovery of the decade, so said headlines around the world: Scientists found a way to create stem cells from human skin . This reprogramming technique, called induced pluripotent stem cells or IPS, turned back the clock on normal cells and reverted them to a desired “blank slate.” The White House even praised the breakthrough as a way to solve medical problems “without compromising either the high aims of science or the sanctity of human life."But Harvard researchers say this might be putting the cart before the horse. Scientists at one of the world’s leading stem cell laboratories say IPS is too dangerous to implement in real situations. The method may never be safe for humans, they explain, which means pursuing more controversial techniques of stem cell replication is still necessary.Dr. George Q. Daley, a stem cell researcher at Children's Hospital Boston, told the Boston Globe Although IPS is incredibly promising — it takes just four genes to turn the skin cell into a stem cell — there are several downfalls: inducing the reprogramming may cause quirks in the cells, making them too unpredictable for human therapy. Another problem is that IPS uses retroviruses to bring the genes into cells. These viruses can tangle with the normal function of DNA and also cause the birth of cancer cells.It’s no surprise that Harvard is powering forward with its embryonic stem cell research. While more controversial, the method still has the most potential to treat human ailments ranging from severed spinal chord to heart disease. Stem cells are viewed as the Holy Grail of science because they can be developed into 220 types of cell in the human body.The main roadblock embryonic research faces is the high-profile moral mess. President Bush and his supporters claim human embryos can become human beings, saying scientists who experiment with embryos are in fact committing a form of murder. Scientists acknowledge the ethical difficulty in this field of research but they say the medical advantages outweigh the religious and moral issues.For now, leading stem cell scientists don’t want to close any doors. They want to remain open to any possible methods that can be explored in this vital field of science. Konrad Hochedlinger, a Massachusetts General Hospital lab leader, said recently: More about Stem cell, Embryonic, Harvard, Ips stem cell embryonic harvard ips