Reprogrammed adult cells treat sickle-cell anemia in mice

This research seems to be moving along nicely.

"Mice with a human sickle-cell anemia disease trait have been treated successfully in a process that begins by directly reprogramming their own cells to an embryonic-stem-cell-like state, without the use of eggs. This is the first proof-of-principle of therapeutic application in mice of directly reprogrammed “induced pluripotent stem” (IPS) cells, which recently have been derived in mice as well as humans."

“This demonstrates that IPS cells have the same potential for therapy as embryonic stem cells, without the ethical and practical issues raised in creating embryonic stem cells,” says Rudolph Jaenisch. Jaenisch still says, "we need to pursue all avenues of research" but it is clear that he sees this new iPS research as promising and without ethical issues.