Parthenogenetic Eggs Produce Embryonic Stem Cells
Parthenogenetic Eggs Produce Embryonic Stem Cells
The New Scientist says that researchers have used eggs which develop into embryos without fertilization to derive embryonic stem cells. Because no sperm is involved, the embryos don’t have complete genetic material and only live a few days. (Apparently the certainty that the embryo can’t develop makes it not a human life. So is human life defined by what is, or by what could be?) For those of you who don’t subscribe to New Scientist, there’s a summary of the article in the Australian Courier-Mail. It’s a recap of a recap, and I now give a further recap…Researchers at the Unversity of Milan have been able not only to derive stem cells from the parthenogic embryos but also have differentiated those stem cells into neurons. The Age
also has a story, which describes the parthenogenetic process in more detail (electric shocks are used) and quotes several researchers, one of whom has doubts about whether the stem cells are as potent as those derived from naturally developed blastocysts. The technique requires egg donation, which is a separate issue that would need to be resolved.
The article itself is published in Nature.
