Scientists announce stem cell line from new source
(sz) Scientists have created a new stem cell line from a clinically unusable human egg in a development that could have major implications for research into illnesses such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, liver disease and diabetes.
The breakthrough, by Roslin Cells Ltd, a spin out company established in 2006 by Roslin Institute, and scientists at The University of Manchester, demonstrates for the first time that eggs which are incapable of becoming viable embryos can be used as a source for stem cells.
The move could help accelerate the development of regenerative medicine, where there is currently an acute shortage of embryos available for stem cell research.
Speaking at the Annual Meeting of the International Society for Stem Cell Research in Australia, Dr Paul De Sousa, Principal Investigator at the University of Edinburgh’s Scottish Centre for Regenerative Medicine and Roslin Cells’s Chief Scientific Officer, said: “Typically up to 30% of eggs in an IVF treatment cycle will be unusable as they fail to fertilise or do so abnormally. These eggs could not develop into a viable embryo and are therefore normally discarded in routine IVF treatment. more…
From: »The Universitiy Of Manchester«