Human somatic cell nuclear transfer (cloning)

References 

1. Wilmut IM, Schnieke AE, McWhir J, Kind AJ, Campbell KHS. Viable offspring derived from fetal and adult mammalian cells. Nature. 1997;385:810–813
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2. Wakayama T, Perry ACF, Zuccotti M, Johnson KR, Yanagimachi R. Full-term development of mice from enucleated oocytes injected with cumulus cell nuclei. Nature. 1998;394:369–374
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3. Kato Y, Tani T, Sotomaru Y, Kurokawa K, Kato J, Doguchi H, et al.  Eight calves cloned from somatic cells of a single adult. Science. 1998;282:2095–2098
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4. Renard JP, Chastant S, Chesne P, Richard C, Marchal J, Cordonnier N, et al.  Lymphoid hypoplasia and somatic cloning. Lancet. 1999;353:1489–1491
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5. National Bioethics Advisory Commission . Cloning Human Beings (Report and Recommendations of the National Bioethics Advisory Commission). Rockville, MD: National Bioethics Advisory Commission; 1997;
6. U.S. Senate. Subcommittee of the Committee on Appropriations. Special Hearing. Stem Cell Research. 105th Cong. 2nd Sess. December 2, 1998. Testimony of Michael D. West, pp. 19–24. Two methods might be used to produce embryonic stem cells that are genetically identical to the cells of individual patients. One method would be to create an embryo through SCNT with the patient’s nucleus and derive embryonic stem cells from that embryo. These cells would then be coaxed to differentiate into specifically needed tissues or organs for transplantation to the somatic cell donor. A second method would be to transfer the patient’s somatic cell nucleus to a previously obtained embryonic stem cell and derive an embryonic stem cell line from that. In either case, SCNT would be used to create cells that are compatible with the patient’s immunologic system. This would theoretically eliminate the need for antirejection drugs.
7. The distinction between reproductive and therapeutic cloning appears in public commentary to point out that the SCNT procedure can be used for different ends, each of which raises separate issues (Gurdon JB, Colman A. The future of cloning. Science 1999;402:743–6). Use of reproductive SCNT and therapeutic SCNT in the present paper does not imply that these terms are acceptable scientific terminology.
8. Reproductive SCNT differs from embryo splitting, which has resulted in the live births of rhesus monkeys and other mammals (Chan AWS, Dominko T, Luetjens CM, Neuber E, Martinovich C, Hewitson L, et al. Clonal propagation of primate offspring by embryo splitting. Science 2000;287:317–9). In embryo splitting, which is hypothetical for humans, the blastomeres of embryos would be separated to increase the number of embryos available for IVF. The Ethics Committee concluded in an earlier paper that research into embryo splitting to improve the efficacy of IVF treatments for infertility would be ethically acceptable (Ethics Committee of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Ethical considerations of assisted reproductive technologies. Fertil Steril. 1997;67(Suppl 1):4S–5S).
9. Annas GJ. Why we should ban human cloning. N Engl J Med. 1998;339:122–125
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10. Kass LR. The wisdom of repugnance. New Republic 1997;17–26.
11. Robertson JA. Two models of human cloning. Hofstra Law Review. 1999;27:609–638
12. Strong C. Cloning and infertility. Camb Q Healthcare Ethics. 1998;7:279–293
13. Pence GE. Who’s Afraid of Human Cloning?. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield; 1998;
14. Eisenberg L. Would cloned humans really be like sheep?. N Engl J Med. 1999;340:471–475
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15. Among other things, investigators who use gametes for research must respect principles of informed consent (Ethics Committee of the American Fertility Society. Ethical considerations of assisted reproductive technologies. Fertil Steril 1994;62(Suppl 1):78S–80S).