Scientists Isolate New Stem Cell Lines

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Scientists

Isolate New Stem Cell Lines

June 10, 2004

CHICAGO (AP) -- Scientists at a private Chicago fertility clinic say they have isolated 12 new stem

cell lines from genetically flawed human embryos -- an advance that could

help research into cures for devastating inherited diseases.

The cell colonies came from unused embryos

donated by couples who underwent prenatal genetic screening at Reproductive

Genetics Institute, clinic president Yury Verlinsky said Wednesday.

The embryos had gene mutations for two forms

of muscular dystrophy, certain blood diseases and a cause of mental

retardation -- seven diseases in all.

Because of stem cells' unique properties,

isolating and studying the cells from those embryos could help researchers

better understand genetic diseases and develop new treatments or cures,

experts said.

While dozens of other stem cell lines have

been developed from human embryos, these are the first to be created from

embryos with specific diseases, said Dr. Leonard Zon,

president of the International Society for Stem Cell Research.

" This is a significant advance for the

field, " said Zon, a stem cell researcher at Boston's Children's Hospital. " We may learn a lot about

the biology of basic diseases by having those lines available. "

The colonies are among 50 new stem cell

lines isolated by clinic researchers, said Verlinsky,

who will present details at the society's annual meeting in Boston this week.

At least two other groups also plan to report that they have created new stem

cell lines from disease-afflicted human embryos, Zon

said.

Verlinsky said he will make the colonies his lab created

available to other scientists doing privately funded research.

Stem cells have the capacity to produce cells

for virtually all body tissues and organs, and they can make copies of

themselves indefinitely. Scientists believe they could someday be used to

treat or cure diseases and repair the body.

They can be extracted from very early human

embryos, but their use in research is controversial because the extraction

procedure kills the embryo.

Because of that, President Bush in 2001

restricted federal research funding to experiments involving only the 78 cell

lines already in existence at the time.

Northwestern University ethicist Laurie Zoloth said

using genetically defective embryos does not erase the moral objections some

groups have raised about embryonic stem cell research.

Verlinsky said his research makes good use of embryos that would

otherwise be discarded. " We feel that to throw away the embryo that can

give us a lot of good information is not a good idea, " he said.

He said the new stem cell lines have

mutations for two forms of muscular dystrophy that affect children and

adults, thalassemia, Fanconi

anemia, Fragile X syndrome, Marfan syndrome, and a

type of neurofibromatosis.

Copyright 2004 The

Associated Press. All rights reserved.