Pluripotency: the third option?

Posted by Elie Dolgin
[Entry posted at 16th June 2009 03:26 PM GMT]

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The excitement surrounding cellular reprogramming and the possibility of federal funding for human embryonic stem cell (ESC) research in the US could be overshadowing another promising therapeutic source of stem cells: those derived via parthenogenesis, some researchers say. But later-developed techniques such as induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) could make this approach obsolete, and the final draft of the stem cell guidelines, due out by July 7, might put the nail in the parthenote coffin.

"Parthenotes will probably be as good as the two other alternatives" -- ESCs and iPSCs -- for cell replacement therapies, Shoukhrat Mitalipov, a developmental biologist at the Oregon National Primate Research Center, told The Scientist. "The advantages are much more attractive than the limitations of these cell lines."

So what are the advantages? First, parthenogenetic embryonic stem cells (pESCs) are derived from unfertilized eggs and can never form viable embryos, which means they circumvent the ethical issues that have dogged ESCs. They also have broader immunological matching potential than any other type of stem cell because some pESCs harbor a duplicated haploid genome. This leads to high rates of homozygosity, including at major histocompatibility genes, so these cells might pose less risk of tissue rejection.

Continued at: http://www.the-scientist.com/blog/display/55762/