Researchers Get OK To Clone Human Stem Cells

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Researchers Get OK To Clone Human Stem CellsResearch Is Privately FundedUPDATED:

10:43 am PDT June 7, 2006

 

BOSTON -- Two teams of Boston scientists announced Tuesday that they will

attempt to create the world's first cloned human embryonic stem cells,

television station WCVB reported.Harvard Stem Cell Institute and Boston

Children's Hospital researchers said they will try to develop a powerful new

tool to explore the biology of, and create patient and disease-specific, stem

cell lines that could lead to the treatment of a wide range of now-incurable

conditions afflicting tens of millions of people worldwide.Researchers plan to

initially focus on diabetes and then expand to include neurodegenerative

diseases, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, better known as Lou Gehrig's

disease, and blood disorders. " This is an experiment that is going to take a long

time for us -- probably greater than 10 years. But this the beginning of these

experiments, " said Dr. Leonard Kon, of Boston's Children Hospital.

 

The method, called somatic cell nuclear transfer, involves removing the nucleus,

which contains DNA, from an affected cell and replacing it with the nucleus from

a donor cell, researchers explained. The cell is then forced to divide into

multiple cells that are genetically identical to the healthy donor cell. The

method has already proven successful in animal research

 

..Patients with diabetes, blood disease and neurodegeneration will donate the

cells. Embryos that were created through in vitro fertilization that have been

deemed incapable of producing a pregnancy will be the source of the embryonic

cells

 

..In accordance with state law, the donors will not be paid for their

contributions and they must give written permission.

 

" For this research to move forward, we'll need compassionate women to step

forward to donate their oocytes for research. This is in close collaboration

with a local (in vitro fertilization) clinic, called Boston IVF, " said Harvard

researcher Dr. Kevin Eggan.

 

Human embryonic stem cell research has long been at the center of controversy

because in extracting healthy cells, days-old human embryos are destroyed.

Embryonic cells are used because they are capable of developing into any cell or

tissue type in the body.

 

Opponents of the work claim that no potential medical benefit can justify the

destruction of what they view as a human life.

 

" We will have patients have a particular disease, lets say diabetes or

Alzheimer's disease, and we will be able to create embryonic stem cells lines

that capture those diseases. We can then try to add drugs to those cells and try

to cure the disease with particular drugs, " Kon said.

 

Harvard President Lawrence Summers is hopeful the research will lead to millions

of people being able to live healthier lives. " While we understand and respect

the sincerely held beliefs of those who oppose this research, we are equally

sincere in our belief that the life-and-death medical needs of countless

suffering children and adults justifies moving forward with this research, "

Summers said in a release about the work.

 

 

An ethics committee must approve all new experiments. Because of federal funding

restrictions on human embryonic stem cell research, the studies are being funded

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