Researchers, led by a scientist at Oregon Health & Science University, created cloned human embryos and then killed them by removing their embryonic stem cells. In their paper, the researchers deceptively claim they reprogrammed skin cells using somatic cell nuclear transfer. Somatic cell nuclear transfer is the scientific name for cloning and is the technique which was used to create Dolly the sheep. In this experiment, the skin cells weren't reprogrammed into embryonic stem cells. They were used, along with human eggs, to create cloned human embryos. These embryos were then killed for their cells.
Since cloning requires a large number of human eggs, the researchers paid 10 women to go through the process of ovarian
hyperstimulation to release more eggs.
In Michigan, creating human embryos by cloning is illegal.
Researchers say they have finally managed to use cloning technology
to make human embryos and grow stem cells from them in the hopes of
making perfectly matched grow-your-own tissue transplants.
They
used a human egg cell and parts of a human skin cell to grow a very
early human embryo, then transformed cells from this ball of cells into
beating heart cells and skin cells.
FULL STORY
