Oregon scientists clone monkey embryo

Portland, Ore., -- Oregon researchers say they've successfully cloned embryonic stem cells of a rhesus monkey by reprogramming genetic material from skin cells.

The team from Oregon Health & Science University's Oregon National Primate Research Center said the work, published online in the journal Nature, is a significant breakthrough in efforts to develop human stem cell therapies.

"Many scientists believe that embryonic stem cells hold great promise for treating a variety of diseases including Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, cardiac disease and spinal cord injuries," Shoukhrat Mitalipov, director of the research team, said Thursday in a release.

The embryonic stem cells were created from skin cells from a nine-year-old male rhesus macaque monkey. The researchers then used specialized imaging software to spot and remove the nuclear material attached to the egg's spindle fibers. The nuclei of skin cells were then inserted into nucleus-free eggs to develop embryonic stem cells, the university said.

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