The controversial field of stem cell research has hit a milestone, and it is close to home.

 According to an article by Johns Hopkins researchers — and published by the online journal Stem Cells on May 29 — a new cell line has been produced that could potentially help develop better stem cell therapies. Ultimately, the new method could improve treatments for diseases such as sickle-cell anemia.

 “We’ve put a lot of extensive work into this research,” said Dr. Linzhao Cheng, associate professor of gynecology, medicine and oncology at Johns Hopkins. “The research has moved so fast. In the past eight months, we have achieved so much. It was unexpectedly and fantastically fast.”

 Cheng described a process in which a certain viral protein is injected into somatic cells from the human skin. This, he said, speeds the process of reprogramming somatic cells into pluripotent stem cells, cells that can differentiate into any germ layer of the human body.

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 Despite Cheng and his colleagues’ enthusiasm, the findings do not signal an end to their work.

 “The findings are still preliminary,” said Prashant Mali, one of the writers of the Stem Cells story. “I strongly urge caution not to come to any premature conclusions. Our goal now is to start to make this process safe. Only then will we be able to reach our main goal, which is to use this new cell line in disease research.”

 That could take many years to accomplish, according to Mali, but that hasn’t taken away from the accomplishment.

“It’s always nice to get excited about it.”

alejandro.ortiz@

baltimoreexaminer.com