▁The ▁addition ▁of ▁c aff e ine ▁during ▁the ▁removal ▁of ▁the ▁ov um ' s ▁nucle us ▁and ▁fusion ▁of ▁the ▁som atic ▁cell ▁and ▁the ▁egg ▁improved ▁bl asto c yst ▁formation ▁and ▁E SC ▁isol ation . ▁The ▁E SC ▁obtain ▁were ▁found ▁to ▁be ▁capable ▁of ▁producing ▁ter atom as , ▁expressed ▁pl ur ip ot ent ▁trans cription ▁factors , ▁and ▁expressed ▁a ▁normal ▁ 4 6 XX ▁k ary ot ype , ▁indicating ▁these ▁SC NT ▁were ▁in ▁fact ▁E SC - like . ▁This ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁instance ▁of ▁successfully ▁using ▁SC NT ▁to ▁re program ▁human ▁som atic ▁cells . ▁This ▁study ▁used ▁f etal ▁and ▁infant ile ▁som atic ▁cells ▁to ▁produce ▁their ▁E SC . ▁ ▁In ▁April ▁ 2 0 1 4 , ▁an ▁international ▁research ▁team ▁expanded ▁on ▁this ▁break ▁through . ▁There ▁remained ▁the ▁question ▁of ▁whether ▁the ▁same ▁success ▁could ▁be ▁accomplished ▁using ▁adult ▁som atic ▁cells . ▁Ep igen etic ▁and ▁age ▁related ▁changes ▁were ▁thought ▁to ▁possibly ▁h inder ▁an ▁adult ▁som atic ▁cells ▁ability ▁to ▁be ▁re program med . ▁Im plement ing ▁the ▁procedure ▁pione ered ▁by ▁the ▁Oregon ▁research ▁group ▁they ▁indeed ▁were ▁able ▁to ▁grow ▁stem ▁cells ▁generated ▁by ▁SC NT ▁using ▁adult ▁cells ▁from ▁two ▁don ors ▁aged ▁ 3 5 ▁and ▁ 7 5 , ▁indicating ▁that ▁age ▁does ▁not ▁imp ede ▁a ▁cell ' s ▁ability ▁to ▁be ▁re program med . ▁ ▁Late ▁April ▁ 2 0 1 4