The recent vote in the British Parliament allows scientists in principle to create hybrid embryos by transferring human somatic cell nuclei into animal oocytes. This vote opens a fascinating new area of research with the central aim of generating interspecific lines of embryonic stem cells (ESCs) that could potentially be used to understand development, differentiation, gene expression and genomic compatibility. It will also promote human cell therapies, as well as the pharmaceutical industry's search for new drug targets. If this approach is to be successful, many biological questions need to be answered and, in addition, some moral and ethical aspects must be taken into account.
Fulka JJr., Fulka H., St John J., Galli C., Lazzari G., Lagutina I., et al. (2008). Cybrid human embryos - warranting opportunities to augment embryonic stem cell research. TRENDS IN BIOTECHNOLOGY, 26, 469-474 [10.1016/j.tibtech.2008.06.001].
Cybrid human embryos - warranting opportunities to augment embryonic stem cell research.
GALLI, CESARE;LAZZARI, GIOVANNA;
2008
Abstract
The recent vote in the British Parliament allows scientists in principle to create hybrid embryos by transferring human somatic cell nuclei into animal oocytes. This vote opens a fascinating new area of research with the central aim of generating interspecific lines of embryonic stem cells (ESCs) that could potentially be used to understand development, differentiation, gene expression and genomic compatibility. It will also promote human cell therapies, as well as the pharmaceutical industry's search for new drug targets. If this approach is to be successful, many biological questions need to be answered and, in addition, some moral and ethical aspects must be taken into account.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
