Producing primate embryonic stem cells by somatic cell nuclear transfer

Embryonic stem (ES) cells can differentiate into various cell types, so they can be used in replacement therapy for aging or diseased cells and tissues. Derivation of ES cells genetically identical to a patient by somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) holds the potential to cure or alleviate the symptoms of many degenerative diseases while circumventing concerns regarding rejection by the host immune system. However, the concept has only been achieved in the mouse, whereas inefficient reprogramming and poor embryonic development characterizes the results obtained in primates. Here, the authors used a modified SCNT approach to produce twenty rhesus macaque blastocysts from adult skin fibroblasts, and successfully isolated through electrofusion two ES cell lines from these embryos for the first time in primates. DNA analysis confirmed that nuclear DNA was identical to donor somatic cells and that mitochondrial DNA originated from oocytes. ES cell derivation rate is 0.7%. Both cell lines exhibited normal ES cell morphology, expressed key stem-cell markers such as OCT4, SSEA-4, TRA1-60, and TRA1-81, were transcriptionally similar to control ES cells and differentiated into multiple cell types in vitro and in vivo. Their results represent successful nuclear reprogramming of adult somatic cells into pluripotent ES cells and demonstrate proof-of-concept for therapeutic cloning in primates. A significant increase in derivation rate would be required for clinical application. (Summarized by Dr. Naoko Abe, M.D.)

Producing primate embryonic stem cells by somatic cell nuclear transfer
J.A.Byrne, et al.
Nature advance online publication 14 November 2007

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