In 1998, James Thomson (University of
Wisconsin-Madison) isolated cells from the inner cell
mass of the early embryo, and developed the first human
embryonic stem cell lines.
In 1998, John Gearhart (Johns Hopkins University)
derived human embryonic germ cells from cells in fetal
gonadal tissue (primordial germ cells).
Pluripotent stem cell “lines” were developed from
both sources
Human embryonic stem cells were first
isolated in 1998. The cells from these embryos were established as
immortal pluripotent cell lines that are still in existence today.