Cloning Used to Fashion Embryonic Stem Cells
Friday, May 17th, 2013May 17, 2013
Scientists have successfully used cloning to create human embryonic stem cells. As outlined in the latest issue of the journal Cell, this experiment is a step toward developing replacement tissue to treat such conditions as Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, and Parkinson’s disease.
Scientists at Oregon Health and Science University in Portland extracted skin cells from a baby with a genetic disease. They fused the cells with donated human eggs to create embryos. The embryos are genetically identical to the 8-month-old child. They then collected stem cells from the embryos.
The scientists, led by Shoukhrat Mitalipov, stated that their technique could not lead to the birth of a viable baby. When used with monkeys, the same technique never produced a cloned animal. Their goal, wrote Mitalipov, is therapeutic cloning: that is, producing embryonic stem cells that are genetically identical to a particular patient in order to treat that patient.
The team’s technique has not yet been replicated by a second group of scientists. The researchers must also demonstrate that they can create stem cells from an adult, as most people who would need replacement tissues are likely to be old.
Responding to Mitalipov’s announcement, Roman Catholic Cardinal Sean O’Malley of Boston declared cloning immoral, even if used for therapeutic purposes: [It] “treats human being as products, manufactured to order to suit other people’s wishes.”
Additional World Book articles:
- The Dawn of Genetic Engineering (a special report)
- Stem Cells: Seeds of Hope (a special report)
- Tissue Engineering–From Science Fiction to Medical Fact (a special report)