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October 7, 2008 5:35:34 AM CDT

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Calif. Firm First to Clone Human Embryos

Posted Jan 17, 08 4:38 PM CST in Science & Health 

(Newser) – A California lab has cloned a human embryo, a science first; the researchers stopped short, however, of creating stem cells. Using a process called somatic cell nuclear transfer, the scientists fused DNA from a man’s skin cells with donated egg cells—and created an embryo with cells specific to the man. Scientists hope stem cells could replace damaged cells with reduced risk of rejection.

The first reported human cloning was in South Korea in 2004, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports; the work was eventually exposed as fraudulent, prompting the Californians—who achieved their breakthrough last May—to check research thoroughly before going public. The Boston Globe cautions that some top figures aren’t impressed; without a stem-cell line, one says, it’s “just not that big a leap.”

Sources San Diego Union-Tribune, Boston Globe

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Embryologist Ric Ross holds a dish with human embryos at the La Jolla IVF Clinic February 28, 2007 in La Jolla, California.   (Getty Images)
  (Shutterstock.com)
___UPF_START_OF_TABLE___Document NameLIFE HEALTH-FERTILITY 2 CCDocument DateMar/14/2006PhotographerDan HondaFormat3000 x 1987 Color JPEGCategoryA DIVKeywordskrtcampus campus, krtfeatures features, krt   (KRT Photos)
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