Japanese and American scientists discovered a way to make stem cells out of human skin cells, an announcement that could mean the end of the opposition regarding stem cell research.

Until now, human stem cells were taken from a human embryo a few days after its fertilization. During the process the embryo was destroyed.

Both announcements were made on November 20 by the American and Japanese scientist, the Current online reports.

James Thomson, University of Wisconsin-Madison scientist, published a study in the journal Science. According to it, he could produce human embryonic stem cells from a skin cell. He didn’t use or destroy any embryos in the process.

Shinya Yamanaka, of Kyoto University in Japan, announced the same discovery which he published in the journal Cell.

A similar discovery was made last year and it was also thought that it could trigger the end of the political and religious opposition. Once the human eggs were eliminated from the process, scientists thought that the religious opposition will drop. But it wasn’t the case.

Some religious groups might reject the stem cell research on grounds that scientists may be “playing God.”

In his research Thomson used a retrovirus to produce four genes into human skin cells from fetuses and foreskins from circumcisions. The cells that were treated turned back to an embryonic state. Now his lab is growing reprogrammed cells that are produced from adult cells from breast and abdominal skin.

Yamanka used in his research skin cells from an adult’s cheek. He said that his cells appear very similar to the embryonic stem cells, but it is too early to say if the embryonic cells could be replaced by the reprogrammed cells.

Yamanka carried his research on mice and identified in their skin cells four genes that could turn other genes to make skin cells act like embryonic stem cells, Voice of America informs.

According to researchers, it must be confirmed that the reprogrammed human skin cells are similar with the stem cells from human embryos. It will take some time until they could be tested on people.

Still, the breakthrough means that stem cells can be grown using a cell from one individual.

There is however one concern and that is the cells might cause cancer because the retroviruses that are used to reprogram the skin cells may bring changes in their genes.