HONG KONG, Jan. 13 (Xinhua) -- Hong Kong researchers generated animal product-free new human stem cells which can be derived into different human cell types and tissues, providing insights for clinical applications of stem cell therapy, according to the University of Hong Kong which made the results public on Thursday.

Researchers from the university's faculty of medicine recently generated new human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) by reprogramming human skin cells into embryonic stem cell-like state with the use of a special enzyme inhibitor.

The span-new stem cells, with the absence of animal products such as live mouse cells and serum, eliminated the problem of potential immune rejection, bringing a better prosperity for clinical application. Besides, ethical issue related to human embryonic stem cells could be avoided.