Human clone experiment repeated successfully

[medea]

The only researchers to publicly show that they have cloned a human embryo said on Tuesday that they had successfully repeated the experiment, growing an embryo to the 16-cell stage.

Researchers at Advanced Cell Technology of Worcester, Massachusetts, have also repeatedly created embryos using a process called parthenogenesis -- using only a human egg cell and no sperm, and without cloning.
The company says the experiments, reported in the January issue of Wired magazine, are not breakthroughs but a natural progression of its efforts to create human embryonic stem cells to use for medical treatments.

Full Story: http://www.cnn.com/2003/HEALTH/12/16/science.clones.reut/index.html

 

[wdlove]

"Even more successful were the parthenogenesis experiments -- in which five of eight human eggs were coaxed into growing into blastocysts. At this stage -- approximately 100 cells -- an embryo can be mined for its stem cells. "

This experimentation sounds very promising. The whole future of treatment for the disease process is at the gene level. To fix defective genes. To grow new organs that are diseased.

 

[gwuMACaddict]

it'll be interesting... i wonder what the ethicists have to say about this...

 

[Counterfit]

I've noticed that all the hubbub is about embryonic stem cell research. Do any groups still work with stem cells taken from the umbilical cord? Or am I simply mistaken that the umbilical cord contains stem cells?

 

[wdlove]

Originally posted by Counterfit
I've noticed that all the hubbub is about embryonic stem cell research. Do any groups still work with stem cells taken from the umbilical cord? Or am I simply mistaken that the umbilical cord contains stem cells?

Yes, the umbilical cord blood contains stem cells. It can have many uses.

http://www.cryo-cell.com/faq_answers.html#question7

 

[Counterfit]

Thanks for the link It seems that cord blood is almost or just about as useful as embryonic stem cells.

 

[mactastic]

We haven't heard much about stem cells since the big fight over whether to allow it or not. Good to hear the research is ongoing and producing results. Kinda scary though! The possibilities are just to weird to fathom once you get into cloning people.

 

[Giaguara]

Originally posted by wdlove
This experimentation sounds very promising. The whole future of treatment for the disease process is at the gene level. To fix defective genes. To grow new organs that are diseased.

i've got enought defective genes that i just don't want to pass them on. i'll maybe adopt one day, but no way i want to have a kid that has anything of me or of my genes. all my relatives have asthma, weird relations to food (under-or overweight), bad allergies, aand above those i got a bad stomach and strong rheumatic tendencies from my dad. some days i feel like i'm 90, not anywhere clsoe to the age i really have.

 

[topicolo]

Gee, I hope you're not forcing natural selection on yourself. That would just be weird.

 

[rueyeet]

Originally posted by Giaguara
i've got enought defective genes that i just don't want to pass them on.

Me too...food and pollen allergies, early arthritis, myopia, and asthma in my case, and back a branch or two in the family tree there's hypothyroidism, hypoglycemia, osteoarthritis, psoriasis, high blood pressure, cancer, alchoholism, and schizophrenia. Yay!

On the one hand, it makes me wonder how I lived through childhood. On the other, this news of progress with the whole stem cell thing is encouraging, because I'll surely need new knees in another couple decades. I was counting on cybernetics, but hey, growing new ones would work too.

 

[ejb190]

Originally posted by rueyeet
Me too...food and pollen allergies, early arthritis, myopia, and asthma in my case, and back a branch or two in the family tree there's hypothyroidism, hypoglycemia, osteoarthritis, psoriasis, high blood pressure, cancer, alchoholism, and schizophrenia. Yay!

Personally, I think it just shows that your family is normal...

 

[Mblazened]

given everybody's genetic defects (my own include myopia) one could argue that society today is breeding in weakness, because of all the "cures" medical science provides. Glasses, medications, braces, for whatever ailment you have, there is something to help you survive and pass on those defective genes. Long ago, instances of myopia i'm sure were quite rare, as those with the gene would not last long.... they'd be bad hunters anyway...

Interesting that humans have taken natural selection and essentially nullified its effects. (except social darwinism)

 

[crap freakboy]

eeekkk imagine an army of George Bushs....shudders....no wait isnt that called USA?

either way I'd rather they didnt clone us, we humans tend to balls up enough things as it is.
our dna should have a health warning on it "DO NOT CLONE- everything we touch turns to sh*t"

guess I'm just a happy go lucky sorta brit

 

[alset]

Originally posted by gwuMACaddict
it'll be interesting... i wonder what the ethicists have to say about this...

Bah. At this point, I give most of them very little credibility to make a distinction between victimless progress and torture to document variations in screaming. Yes, I'm bitter about people restricting technology that could potentially save lives based on the sanctity (_what your god said, not mine_) of life. Sure, there will be abuse that I find offensive and dangerous, but this particular case is clean.

This is the best news I have head all day.

Dan

 

[Counterfit]

Originally posted by crap freakboy
eeekkk imagine an army of George Bushs....shudders....no wait isnt that called USA?

No, and don't start that crap here.

Mblazened: Do you think crooked/unevenly spaced teeth are genetic?