Cloning versus Stem Cell Therapies (Biotechnology and Society 2016)

Cloning versus Stem Cell Therapies (Biotechnology and Society 2016)

Taxidermied remains of Dolly, the first cloned mammal. (Image source)

Everyone: Dolly the Sheep and Pet Cloning

Required Reading/Viewing

• Wilmut I, Schnieke AE, McWhir J, Kind AJ, Campbell KH (1997) Viable offspring derived from fetal and adult mammalian cells. Nature 385:810–813.
  Paper describing cloning of Dolly the sheep.
• Stewart C (1997) Nuclear transplantation. An udder way of making lambs. Nature 385:769, 771.
  News and Views article accompanying Dolly article.
• Pera M, Trounson A (2013) Cloning debate: Stem-cell researchers must stay engaged. Nature 498:159–161.
  Compares the development of ESC, SCNT, and iPSC technologies and mentions some applications.
• My Friend Again: Pet Cloning Service
  See especially, the "My Dog has died" link.

Additional Resources

• The Dark Side of Pet Cloning Emily Singer MIT Technology Review. January 30, 2009.
  Comment about pet cloning services.
• This American Life piece on (Second) Chance the cloned Bull
• How Cloning Works

Hwang Woo-suk Czar

Required Reading/Viewing

• Cyranoski D (2014) Cloning comeback. Nature 505:468–471.
  Story of the career of Woo Suk Hwang.
• Hwang WS et al. (2005) Patient-specific embryonic stem cells derived from human SCNT blastocysts. Science 308:1777–1783.
  Check out the paper and the follow-up retraction.
• Be sure to describe specifically what the scientific misconduct was for the two major studies and what the penalties were.

Parkinson's Czar

Required Reading/Viewing

• Stem Cells and Parkinson's Disease at the Michael J. Fox Institute
  This is a good resource for getting a basic understanding of the cause of Parkinson's disease. Also click around and look at other treatment options under "Understanding Parkinsons". For example, medications for motor symptoms.
• Barker, R. A., Drouin-Ouellet, J., Parmar, M. (2015) Cell-based therapies for Parkinson disease—past insights and future potential. Nat. Rev. Neurol. 11: 492–503.
  Comprehensive review of subject.
• Barker, R. A., Parmar, M., Kirkeby, A., Björklund, A., Thompson, L., Brundin, P. (2016) Are Stem Cell-Based Therapies for Parkinson’s Disease Ready for the Clinic in 2016? J. Parkinsons. Dis. 6: 57–63.
  Up to the minute updates.
• List of current clinical trial's for Parkinson's Disease involving stem cells

Organ Regeneration Czar

Required Reading/Viewing

• Eight tiny organs grown by scientists Euro Stem Cell.
  Why might you want to grow a tiny organ?
• Medhekar, S. K., Shende, V. S., Chincholkar, A. B. (2016) Recent stem cell advances: Cord blood and induced pluripotent stem cell for cardiac regeneration - a review. Int. J. Stem Cells 9: 21–30.