Yet another Stuart pointer led to this. Sort of looks like SCS is getting more active on the PR front.......
Curr Biol 2000 Aug 24;10(16):989-92
Isolation of pluripotent embryonic stem cells from reprogrammed adult
mouse somatic cell nuclei.
Munsie MJ, Michalska AE, O'Brien CM, Trounson AO, Pera MF, Mountford PS
Monash Institute of Reproduction and Development, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria,
Australia.
[Medline record in process]
Pluripotent human stem cells isolated from early embryos represent a potentially unlimited source
of many different cell types for cell-based gene and tissue therapies [1-3]. Nevertheless, if the full
potential of cell lines derived from donor embryos is to be realised, the problem of
donor-recipient tissue matching needs to be overcome. One approach, which avoids the problem
of transplant rejection, would be to establish stem cell lines from the patient's own cells through
therapeutic cloning [3,4]. Recent studies have shown that it is possible to transfer the nucleus
from an adult somatic cell to an unfertilised oocyte that is devoid of maternal chromosomes, and
achieve embryonic development under the control of the transferred nucleus [5-7]. Stem cells
isolated from such a cloned embryo would be genetically identical to the patient and pose no risk
of immune rejection. Here, we report the isolation of pluripotent murine stem cells from
reprogrammed adult somatic cell nuclei. Embryos were generated by direct injection of
mechanically isolated cumulus cell nuclei into mature oocytes. Embryonic stem (ES) cells isolated
from cumulus-cell-derived blastocysts displayed the characteristic morphology and marker
expression of conventional ES cells and underwent extensive differentiation into all three
embryonic germ layers (endoderm, mesoderm and ectoderm) in tumours and in chimaeric
foetuses and pups. The ES cells were also shown to differentiate readily into neurons and muscle
in culture. This study shows that pluripotent stem cells can be derived from nuclei of terminally
differentiated adult somatic cells and offers a model system for the development of therapies that
rely on autologous, human pluripotent stem cells. |
