Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 7, 2026
08:08
Application of Mouse Parthenogenetic Haploid Embryonic Stem Cells as a Substitute of Sperm
Published on: November 19, 2020
[Hybrid embryos as a source of embryonic stem cells]
1Centro de Bioética, Facultad de Medicina, Clínica Alemana-Universidad del Desarrollo, Santiago, Chile. jpbeca@udd.cl
Revista Medica De Chile
|February 9, 2008
Summary
Researchers are creating hybrid embryos using human cell nuclei and cow eggs to generate embryonic stem cells. This controversial technique aims to bypass the need for human eggs, raising ethical questions about the nature of life.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive biology
- Stem cell research
- Bioethics
Context:
- The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) approved research on hybrid embryos.
- These embryos are created by transferring human somatic cell nuclei into cow oocytes.
- The goal is to establish a novel source of embryonic stem cells.
Purpose:
- To explore the potential of cytoplasmatic hybrids for generating embryonic stem cells.
- To circumvent the ethical and practical challenges associated with obtaining human oocytes for stem cell research.
- To investigate the biological and ethical status of human-animal hybrid entities.
Summary:
- The research involves creating hybrid embryos with 99% human genome and animal cytoplasm, not derived from human gametes.
- These entities are intended solely for stem cell cultivation, not for development.
- The biological nature and ethical classification of these hybrid embryos remain subjects of debate.
Impact:
- This research could lead to innovative therapies derived from a new source of pluripotent stem cells.
- It highlights the complex ethical and legal questions arising from advancements in stem cell technology.
- The debate centers on the definition of an embryo and the moral considerations surrounding its creation and destruction.
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00:57Embryonic Stem Cells
Embryonic stem (ES) cells were first discovered in mice in 1981 by Martin Evans. In 1998, James Thomson identified a method to isolate embryonic stem cells from humans. Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) are obtained from 3-5 day old embryos that remain unused after an in vitro fertilization procedure.
ES cells are grown in a culture medium where they can divide indefinitely, creating ES cell lines. Under certain conditions, ES cells can differentiate, either spontaneously into a variety of...
ES cells are grown in a culture medium where they can divide indefinitely, creating ES cell lines. Under certain conditions, ES cells can differentiate, either spontaneously into a variety of...
00:58Embryonic Stem Cells
Embryonic stem (ES) cells are undifferentiated pluripotent cells, meaning they can produce any cell type in the body. This gives them tremendous potential in science and medicine since they can generate specific cell types for use in research or to replace body cells lost due to damage or disease.
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The development of all multicellular organisms starts with the fusion of haploid cells called sperm and egg to form a diploid zygote. A zygote is a totipotent cell that can develop into a complete organism. The zygote undergoes cell division or cleavage to form an 8-cell mass. Until this stage, the cells are spherical, loosely attached, and remain totipotent. Totipotent cells are capable of developing both the embryonic and the extraembryonic tissues. However, as they continue to divide, they...
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Stem cells are undifferentiated cells that divide and produce different types of cells. Ordinarily, cells that have differentiated into a specific cell type are post-mitotic—that is, they no longer divide. However, scientists have found a way to reprogram these mature cells so that they “de-differentiate” and return to an unspecialized, proliferative state. These cells are also pluripotent like embryonic stem cells—able to produce all cell types—and are therefore called induced pluripotent stem...
01:06Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells
Stem cells are undifferentiated cells that divide and produce different cell types. Ordinarily, cells that have differentiated into a specific cell type are terminally differentiated; however, scientists have found a way to reprogram these mature cells so that they dedifferentiate and return to an unspecialized, proliferative state. These cells are pluripotent like embryonic stem cells—able to produce all cell types—and are called induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs).
Somatic cells are...
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01:27Source And Potency Of Stem Cells
Stem cells are undifferentiated cells with extensive self-renewal properties that help them maintain their population during the fetal and adult stages of life. They can specialize in all cell types of the human body. However, their differential potential may vary and can be classified into five types. Stem cells can be (1) Totipotent, (2) Pluripotent, (3) Multipotent, (4) Oligopotent, and (5) Unipotent. Each stem cell has a specific origin; the fertilized egg or zygote is a totipotent cell and...