Why Were Researchers Studying Embryonic Stem Cells Before 1998? (original) (raw)

This presentation will give a brief overview of the types of topics covered in my PhD thesis. In an attempt to answer why embryonic stem cells were researched (and used in research) prior to 1998, I focus on what were arguably the first experiments in the late 19th and early 20th century, then three main areas: development, differentiation, and reprogramming. These areas cover the early, mid, and later twentieth century, demonstrating that there was in fact a significant amount of embryonic stem cell research going on prior to 1998. Embryonic stem cells themselves were a focus for research during these earlier periods; the early experiments of Wilhelm Roux and