Good luck on those Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer (SCNT) attempts

[Bhaskar]

Developing patient-specific stem cell lines

UC Irvine neurobiologist Hans Keirstead and his research team today launched a project to develop stem cell lines that genetically match human patients. These lines would allow scientists to better study conditions ranging from diabetes to Parkinson's disease, and they would provide the basis for potential patient-specific stem cell treatments.

Keirstead will use a technique called somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) in which a patient's DNA is transplanted into a donated unfertilized egg cell in order to generate stem cell lines with the same genetic makeup of the patient. These lines have tremendous therapy potential because the human immune system is less likely to attack genetically identical cells. Only a few laboratories in the world are attempting this technique in human stem cell research and, thus far, no human stem cell lines have been derived using this
method.

"This technique holds tremendous promise to advance our knowledge of stem cells and their potential to cure disease," said Keirstead, associate professor of anatomy and neurobiology and co-director of UCI's Sue and Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center. "I am excited to embark on this line of research and look forward to the day when patient-specific stem cells are utilized to treat people suffering from debilitating injuries and health conditions."

This project received approval May 11 from UCI's Institutional Review Board, which under federal regulation reviews all proposed studies involving human tissue. The Embryonic Stem Cell Research Oversight Committee at UCI also has reviewed the project and will ensure that experiments involving embryonic stem cells serve important research goals and are conducted according to the highest ethical standards.
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More : http://www.huliq.com/21633/developin...tem-cell-lines