Using therapeutic cloning to fight human disease: a conundrum or reality?
The development and transplantation of autologous cells derived from nuclear transfer embryonic stem cell (NT-ESC) lines to treat patients suffering from disease has been termed therapeutic cloning. Human NT is still a developing field, with further research required to improve somatic cell NT and human embryonic stem cell differentiation to deliver safe and effective cell replacement therapies. Furthermore, the implications of transferring mitochondrial heteroplasmic cells, which may harbor aberrant epigenetic gene expression profiles, are of concern. The production of human NT-ESC lines also remains plagued by ethical dilemmas, societal concerns, and controversies. Recently, a number of alternate therapeutic strategies have been proposed to circumvent the moral implications surrounding human nuclear transfer. It will be critical to overcome these biological, legislative, and moral restraints to maximize the potential of this therapeutic strategy and to alleviate human disease.
Neuronal Survival Unit, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Wallenberg Neuroscience Centre, Lund University, Sweden. Vanessa.Hall@med.lu.se
Vanessa J
VJ
Hall
Petra
P
Stojkovic
Miodrag
M
Stojkovic
D000818:Animals; D019976:Cloning, Organism / Q000941:ethics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data* / Q000639:trends; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial / Q000378:metabolism; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic; D050259:Genes, Mitochondrial; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D009154:Mutation; D018587:Oocyte Donation / Q000941:ethics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000523:psychology; D033581:Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000941:ethics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data* / Q000639:trends
D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial