Abstract
This chapter gives a factual account of work on embryo stem cells since its inception in the early 1960s. The systematic analysis of embryo stem cells began in the early 1960s at Glasgow University. Studies on the maturation of human oocytes led to human in vitro fertilization (IVF), preimplantation genetic diagnosis, and growth of human stem cells for a therapeutic purpose, which was based on the works of Pincus and Saunders. Coincidentally, preimplantation growth in mammals was increasing in number following initial work in 1890 by Heape. Experimental studies in 1940 by Nicholas and Hall, and in 1952 by Seidel, assessed the developmental capacity of each two-cell blastomere in rabbit embryos. At the same time, Beatty and Fischberg inactivated the second metaphase spindle by warming ovulated mouse oocytes in vivo to produce triploid embryos after fertilization. The first IVF baby was delivered in 1978—after considerable effort—signaling the imminence of alleviating infertility, introducing preimplantation genetic diagnosis, and using human stem cells for therapeutic purposes. Two lines of research developed in the laboratories are attempts to produce human embryo stem cells and use of mouse blastocyst and postimplantation fetuses as sources of stem cells for therapeutic grafting into sick recipients.
Published Version
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call