- Scientists acquire embryonic stem cells from two sources – eggs from In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) and Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer (SCNT), a laboratory procedure that does not involve a fertilized egg.
- IVF has been used for more than 25 years to treat millions for infertility.
- When couples undergo IVF, more fertilized eggs are produced than are needed. The couple only uses a few fertilized eggs.
- It is estimated there are currently over 400,000 frozen fertilized eggs at in vitro fertilization clinics, many of which are in excess or imperfect (they will never be implanted in a uterus.)
- Scientists access these extra frozen eggs only with the voluntary consent of the couple. Embryo donors have five choices for the left over frozen embryos.
- The donors may keep them to have more children later.
- The donors may donate embryos to other couples who are unable to use their own sperm and egg for IVF to implant donated embryos to help others have children. Polls and actual donations of embryos for this kind of use have resulted in very few donations/pregnancies, primarily because most donors do not want strangers raising their children.
- The donors may agree to have the excess embryos used for research. 60% of couples with IVF embryos are willing to donate their frozen embryos for stem cell research according to “The Donors Have Spoken” (Newsweek web exclusive: July 2, 2008.)
- The donors may decide to have the frozen embryos disposed of as medical waste.
- The donors may continue to pay for maintaining the embryos in a frozen state (an option that is economically impossible for most couples, and ultimately will be abandoned by future generations)
- Embryonic stem cell lines are often developed from leftover fertilized eggs at in vitro fertilization clinics.
- How are stem cells derived from IVF eggs? After about five days in a Petri dish, the fertilized egg divides, producing about 100-200 stem cells within a structure called a blastocyst.The collection of cells within this structure is removed and placed in another Petri dish to which cell proteins and growth factors are added to the stem cells to transform them into specialized cell types.
- The 100-200 blastocyst cells are undifferentiated, each identical, and each with the potential to become any cell type in the human body. The stem cells remain in a Petri dish and are never implanted into a uterus.
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