|
Human
Cloning
-
News
Release
Company
Says
They
Have
Proven
Human
Cells
Can
Provide
Transplant
Tissue
Worcester,
MA
–
November
25,
2001
–
Advanced
Cell
Technology,
Inc.
(ACT)
today
announced
publication
of
its
research
on
human
somatic
cell
nuclear
transfer
and
parthenogenesis.
The
report,
published
in
today’s
Journal
of
Regenerative
Medicine,
provides
the
first
proof
that
reprogrammed
human
cells
can
supply
tissue
for
transplantation.
Human
embryonic
stem
(ES)
cells,
and
other
cells
derived
from
the
inner
cell
mass
of
the
preimplantation
embryo
are
totipotent,
that
is,
they
are
capable
of
forming
any
cell
or
tissue
in
the
human
body.
While
numerous
human
ES
cell
lines
are
now
in
existence,
they
are
of
little
value
in
human
transplantation,
as
they
would
be
rejected
by
a
patient
as
foreign.
Human
therapeutic
cloning
has
the
potential
to
solve
this
problem
by
providing
cells
that
are
an
exact
genetic
match
for
the
patient.
ACT’s
paper
reports
preliminary
studies
on
two
means
of
manufacturing
such
cells.
The
first
method
is
parthenogenesis.
In
this
technique
an
egg
cell
is
activated
without
being
fertilized
by
a
sperm
cell.
A
patient
in
need
of
a
particular
cell
or
tissue
type
provides
the
egg
cell,
the
activated
egg
cell
forms
a
preimplantation
embryo,
and
the
resulting
stem
cells
are
differentiated
into
the
type
of
tissue
the
patient
needs.
The
paper
reports
success
in
activating
egg
cells
in
this
manner
to
form
many-celled
embryos
resembling
blastocysts.
The
paper
does
not
report
data
on
stem
cell
isolation.
In
a
second
series
of
studies,
the
company
performed
somatic
cell
nuclear
transfer
(cloning)
to
form
preimplantation
embryos.
In
this
instance,
human
egg
cells
were
prepared
by
removing
their
DNA
and
adding
the
DNA
from
a
human
somatic
(body)
cell.
The
paper
reports
that
the
somatic
nuclei
showed
evidence
of
reprogramming
to
an
embryonic
state
as
evidenced
by
pronuclear
development
(a
type
of
nucleus
observed
only
in
the
fertilized
egg)
and
by
early
embryonic
development
to
the
six-cell
stage.
Again,
the
company
did
not
report
on
stem
cell
isolation.
“Our
preliminary
results
add
to
the
weight
of
evidence
that
human
cell
reprogramming
is
possible,”
said
Jose
B.
Cibelli,
Ph.D.,
D.VM.,
Vice-President
of
Research
at
ACT
and
the
first
author
of
the
report.
“We
understand
that
these
are
early
and
preliminary
results,
but
given
the
importance
of
this
emerging
field
of
medicine
we
decided
to
publish
our
results
now.”
The
company’s
goal
in
applying
cloning
to
human
medicine
is
to
create
stem
cells
capable
of
differentiating
into
a
variety
of
cells,
such
as
heart
cells,
neurons,
blood
cells
or
islets
for
transplant
therapies.
“These
are
exciting
preliminary
results,”
said
Robert
P.
Lanza,
M.D.,
Vice
President
of
Medical
and
Scientific
Development
at
ACT
and
an
author
on
the
paper.
“This
work
sets
the
stage
for
human
therapeutic
cloning
as
a
potentially
limitless
source
of
immune-compatible
cells
for
tissue
engineering
and
transplantation
medicine.
Our
intention
is
not
to
create
cloned
human
beings,
but
rather
to
make
lifesaving
therapies
for
a
wide
range
of
human
disease
conditions,
including
diabetes,
strokes,
cancer,
AIDS,
and
neurodegenerative
disorders
such
as
Parkinson’s
and
Alzheimer’s
disease.”
“Human
therapeutic
cloning
could
be
used
for
a
host
of
age-related
diseases,”
said
Michael
D.
West,
Ph.D.
the
company’s
CEO
and
an
author
of
the
paper,
“if
the
human
cells
behave
as
animal
cells
have
in
previous
studies,
we
may
have
found
a
means
of
rebuilding
the
lifespan
of
cells
at
the
same
time.
This
would
allow
us
to
supply
young
cells
of
any
kind,
identical
to
the
patient,
that
could
be
used
to
address
the
tidal
wave
of
age-related
disease
that
will
accompany
the
aging
of
the
population.”
Researchers
from
Advanced
Cell
Technology
collaborated
with
scientists
from
Duncan
Holly
Biomedical
of
Somerville,
Massachusetts
on
the
paper.
The
other
authors
are
Kerrianne
Cunniff
of
ACT,
and
Ann
A.
Kiessling
and
Charlotte
Richards.
Advanced
Cell
Technology
is
a
biotechnology
company
focused
on
discovering
and
developing
cloning
technology
for
human
medicine
and
agriculture.
Additional
information
at
the
following
links:
http://www.advancedcell.com
http://www.liebertpub.com/ebi
http://www.sciam.com
http://www.usnews.com
|
