300 Longwood Avenue Boston, MA 02115 (617) 355-6000 Research: George Daley discusses parthenogenetic embryonic stem cells Parthenogenesis is a method of reproduction in which the female can generate offspring without the contribution of a male, creating an embryo from an unfertilized egg. The laboratory of George Daley MD, PhD, associate director of the Children's Hospital Boston Stem Cell Program, recently used parthenogenesis to create embryonic stem cells (ESCs) in mice (see press release). Daley is keenly interested in human-egg-derived ESCs as a practical means of treating disease in humans without immunologic rejection, since the cells can be matched to the egg donor by the major histocompatibility complex genes (those responsible for tissue matching). Here, he discusses the idea of making a "master bank" of egg-derived ESCs carrying different combinations of histocompatibility genes, creating a set of "off the shelf" therapeutic options to supplement the more cumbersome and expensive process of creating ESCs from each individual. Daley also touches on the Korean human ESC lines (Hwang Woo-Suk et al.), which were originally claimed to be derived by nuclear transfer (cloning), but which Daley and colleagues showed were actually created through parthenogenesis (see press release). Video Clips Why are parthenogenetic embryonic stem cells important? [2.6 MB] View clip... How would this bank of parthenogenetic embryonic stem cells work? [3.9 MB] View clip... Have parthenogenetic embryonic stem cells ever been made before? [0.8 MB] View clip... Does parthenogenesis mean we no longer need to work with IVF embryos to get stem cells? [1.9 MB] View clip... Does generating embryonic stem cells through parthenogenesis avoid the ethical concern about destroying embryos? [2.0 MB] View clip... The information on this website should not be taken as medical advice, which can only be given to you by your personal health care professional. Copyright © Children's Hospital Boston. All rights reserved.