SEOUL: 'Hu-Mouse' Stem-Cell Breakthrough

[Murray Charters <mcharters@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

The Sydney Morning Herald, Australia

'Hu-mouse' stem-cell breakthrough
June 24 2003

South Korean researchers said yesterday they had succeeded in developing human 
embryonic stem cells in the bodies of
mice.

Maria BioTech, a Seoul research institute, said the so-called "hu-mouse" 
project represented a step forward in efforts
to tackle a variety of diseases because clinical studies could henceforth be 
carried out on mice rather than human
beings.

Scientists from the institute injected human embryonic stem cells, carrying 
enhanced green fluorescent proteins (EGFP),
into mice embryos. They then transplanted the embryos into the wombs of four 
mice. They said they succeeded in
producing 11 healthy baby mice.

Of the 11 transgenic mice, five had stem-cells bearing EGFP genes in their 
hearts, livers, kidneys and cartilage. All
progeny of the five also had the stem-cell genes.

Lead researcher Kim Un-Yong said that the "hu-mouse" project was the first of 
its kind in the world.

"This has not been done before," she said. "The project will help work on 
curing human disease.

"They are perfect mice except for a few human genes," said Maria's head of 
research Park Se-Pill.

Stem cells are the undifferentiated building block cells produced by the body 
that become specialised cells.

Scientists believe that stem-cell research will eventually help repair damaged 
organs and reverse currently incurable
illnesses including some cancers, diabetes and Parkinson's disease.

AFP

SOURCE: The Sydney Morning Herald, Australia


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