US researchers have discovered that stem cells obtained from mouse embryos can be transformed into female egg cells in the laboratory. Dr Hans R Scholer from the University of Pennsylvania, and colleagues found that both male and female mouse embryonic stem cells are capable of transforming into egg cells. Furthermore, the researchers discovered that the eggs could be artificially stimulated to divide and become structures very similar to early embryos, which are known as blastocysts. If Scholer’s experiments can be replicated with human cells, the discovery could have a significant impact upon therapeutic cloning research as it would offer scientists a way of generating a supply of embryonic stem cells for research without having to destroy fertilized embryos.
SOURCE/REFERENCE: Sciencexpress 2003;10.1126/science.1083452.
