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Therapeutic cloning treats Parkinson's disease in mice

March 24, 2008

Research led by investigators at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) has shown that therapeutic cloning, also known as somatic-cell nuclear transfer (SCNT), can be used to treat Parkinson's disease in mice. The study's results are published in the March 23 online edition of the journal Nature Medicine.

For the first time, researchers showed that therapeutic cloning or SCNT has been successfully used to treat disease in the same subjects from whom the initial cells were derived. While this current work is in animals, it could have future implications as this method may be an effective way to reduce transplant rejection and enhance recovery in other diseases and in other organ systems.




In therapeutic cloning or SCNT, the nucleus of a somatic cell from a donor subject is inserted into an egg from which the nucleus has been removed. This cell then develops into a blastocyst from which embryonic stem cells can be harvested and differentiated for therapeutic purposes. As the genetic information in the resulting stem cells comes from the donor subject, therapeutic cloning or SCNT would yield subject-specific cells that are spared by the immune system after transplantation.

The new study shows that therapeutic cloning can treat Parkinson's disease in a mouse model. The scientists used skin cells from the tail of the animal to generate customized or autologous dopamine neurons-the missing neurons in Parkinson's disease. The mice that received neurons derived from individually matched stem cell lines exhibited neurological improvement. But when these neurons were grafted into mice that did not genetically match the transplanted cells, the cells did not survive well and the mice did not recover.

Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center



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Prof. John Gearhart tells reporters the truth: "therapeutic cloning" produces a human embryo, no longer an "egg".(Brief Article): An article from: National Right to Life News


Sen. Daschle delays debate on cloning bill until June; Republicans Hatch, Ford support allowing therapeutic cloning.: An article from: Transplant News


Senate vote set on human cloning; Biotech: Reproductive Cloning Vs. Therapeutic Research Debate Continues. (Teck Talk).: An article from: San Diego Business Journal
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31st annual NRL Convention pro-lifers celebrate 4th of July with "I am an American" .(Aborted mothers: raising the death toll of "therapeutic" cloning.): An article from: National Right to Life News
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ABA adopts recommendation opposing government action against researchers using therapeutic cloning methods.(American Bar Association)(Brief Article): An article from: Transplant News


Therapeutic cloning in danger of being outlawed in US as lawmakers race to ban cloning of human beings.: An article from: Transplant News
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Take therapeutic cloning forward: An article from: The Scientist
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British fertility expert urges end of ban on human therapeutic cloning research.: An article from: Transplant News


40 US Nobel Laureates sign joing statement supporting nuclear transplantation technology for research, therapeutic purposes.(yet, they do not support human cloning): An article from: Transplant News


Ban all cloning says Bush, but don't ban therapeutic cloning says NAS panel, as Senate takes up debate.(National Academy of Sciences)(Brief Article): An article from: Transplant News
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