Koreans were able to make patient specific stem cells in 11 patients, from 2 to 65, male and female. Story here. This is huge, and shows how far behind the US will be if the federal ban on cloning is not reversed. Patient specific stem cells make it possible to cure or treat disease by reversing genetic defects; anything from Alzteimers to cancer to SCIDS; really anything that has a genetic component. We may be as little as 5-10 years before genetic treatment becomes a reality.

Next step: patient specific organs.

Next step: immortality. If all of your cells can be regenerated, without genetic alteration, such as mutations or telomere shortening, then aging would not occur.

Update: Bush reaffirms the federal ban on theraputic cloning. Asshat. (story here)