In the vicinity . If approved by Parliament, UK scientists may be able to extend the work on human embryonic stem cells
LONDON -. The British government today approved the cloning of human embryos to harvest stem cells, not likely to serve as seed material for growing fresh tissues to treat disease cells. The proposal was contained in a report presented in May a panel asked to review government policies on the use of embryos in research.
UK regulations now allow limited research on human embryos, including infertility treatments and studies contraceptives. Almost all embryos used in such projects come from in vitro fertilization clinics, and research is limited to embryos up to the age of 2 weeks. But recent advances in research on stem cells and other areas led the government of the United Kingdom last fall to form a group of experts, led by Liam Donaldson, chief medical officer of the British Ministry of Health.
The Panel recommended extending the use of embryos for research. At the top of his list is permission for researchers to extract stem cells from embryos remaining. Stem cells, which can be brought to form different types of cells, could help to replace many kinds of tissues (see table). Stem cells would be slaughtered from ages 5 to 6 days embryos. The report also recommends limited use of cloning - the creation of new embryos -. As a source of stem cells
Another line of research supported by the report would investigate the diseases caused by defective mitochondria, cellular power plants with their own set of DNA. When the sperm and egg unite, the resulting embryo retains the mitochondria from the egg only, which means that mitochondrial DNA is passed only through the mother. Some 50 rare diseases have been linked to damaged or defective mitochondrial DNA. A prevention method proposed involves transplanting the nucleus of an egg of a mother at risk in a donor egg with its nucleus removed and fertilize the ovum in vitro hybrid.
(In the United States, privately funded research on embryonic stem cells is not regulated, but the work funded by the federal government is waiting until the National Institutes of Health releases its final guidelines, expected in mid-September. according to the draft guidelines, work with stem cells derived from embryos newly created would be unacceptable for NIH funding. Some lawmakers and members of the public argued that research on embryonic stem cells is unnecessary because derived from adult tissue stem cells could be just as useful.)
Parliament should address the issue this fall. But the approval of large is uncertain. "I would not take the acceptance of these recommendations for granted by Parliament," says Harry Griffin, assistant director for science at the Roslin Institute in Edinburgh. "There will be a noisy opposition from pro-life groups, and a large part of the audience will see a moral dilemma. "
with reporting by Michael Balter.
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| POTENTIAL USES dE tISSUE fROM dE STEM cELLS fOr tREAT lA dISEASE | |
| Type cell | target disease |
| neurons (nerve) cells | stroke, disease Parkinson, Alzheimer's disease, spinal cord injury, multiple sclerosis |
| cardiac muscle cells | heart attacks, heart failure congestive |
| insulin-producing cells | diabetes |
| cartilage cells | OA |
| blood cells | cancer, immunodeficiency, diseases of hereditary blood, leukemia |
| liver cells | hepatitis cirrhosis |
| skin cells | burns, wound healing |
| bone cells | osteoporosis |
| retinal (eye) cells | macular degeneration |
| skeletal muscle cells | muscular dystrophy |
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