Therapeutic cloning gets a boost with new research findings
Wednesday, March 25, 2009 - 08:42
in Biology & Nature
Germ cells, the cells which give rise to a mammal's sperm or eggs, exhibit a five to ten-fold lower rate of spontaneous point mutations than adult somatic cells, which give rise to the body's remaining cell types, tissues and organs. Despite their comparatively higher mutation rates, however, adult somatic cells are used as the donor cells in a cloning process called somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT). This made researchers wonder if cloning by SCNT leads to progeny with more mutations than their naturally conceived counterparts. Also, would cloned foetuses receive DNA programming predisposing them to develop mutations faster than natural foetuses of the same age?...