MRC joins forces with California to examine future of ‘nuclear transfer’ research
2 December 2010
An expert workshop held earlier this year by the Medical Research Council (MRC) and the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) has recommended that scientists should continue to strive towards developing human somatic cell nuclear transfer (hSCNT), also referred to as therapeutic cloning.
The results of those discussions are published in a new scientific report which highlights that ‘nuclear transfer’ research could still play a key role in improving scientists’ understanding of nuclear reprogramming and in developing new treatments.
The meeting was chaired by Lord Naren Patel in June of this year and assessed the status of hSCNT research, looking at the context of the recent advances in deriving stem cells, particularly the breakthrough of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). The participants concluded that in light of subtle and as yet not fully understood differences in the characteristics of the stem cells generated through these different approaches, hSCNT could yet emerge as the technology of choice for developing stem cell-based models of disease in specific areas.
The group further highlighted that hSCNT could be uniquely valuable for developing treatments for disorders such as mitochondrial diseases, for which no treatment currently exists, and for understanding the biological processes underlying early human development. This underpinned the strong recommendation that hSCNT should continue to be explored as an active area of stem cell research.
The process of SCNT works by transferring the DNA information contained in a nucleus from a fully-formed adult cell, typically from the skin, and inserting it into an egg cell that has had its own nucleus removed. The aim of this process is to produce pluripotent stem cells which contain identical DNA information to the donor of the adult cell. In the case of human SCNT, such stem cells could in principle be directed to generate specific cell types to either model or repair the damage caused by disease for the donor.
Despite many great strides that have been made over the last ten years in numerous animal studies, the technical prospect of creating human stem cells using hSCNT has continued to elude scientists. Many of the leaders in this field were present at this meeting and were very optimistic that this goal will soon be achieved. However, they were also keen to point out that this technology was only one component of a broad approach to harness the potential of cellular reprogramming to create new stem-cell based treatments, and that all approaches should continue to be developed alongside each other to achieve this goal.
Professor Roger Pedersen, Director of the Cambridge UK MRC Centre for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine and a participant at the workshop, says:
“After the significant investment of time and resources spent debating and passing the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act (2008) across many areas, this report offers researchers on both sides of the Atlantic a crucial opportunity to evaluate where the real scientific opportunities for progress in stem cell technologies lie, and how to best focus our efforts so that they can deliver the greatest benefit for patients. The next stage is to truly realise the potential offered by stem cell research to combat disease and to move forward into the next phase employing as robust an evidence base as possible.”
To read the full Report visit: www.mrc.ac.uk/Newspublications/Publications/Research/index.htm
