• Question: where do you get the embreonic stem cells from to experiment on, are they artificial or real

    Asked by harryc123 to Sharon, Kara, Jayne, James, Emma on 16 Mar 2011 in Categories: .
    • Photo: Sharon Sneddon

      Sharon Sneddon answered on 15 Mar 2011:

      Hi harryc123I

      The embryonic stem cells I use are real.
      When patients come in for IVF treatment, sometimes there are eggs and embryos that can’t be used for their treatment and would be thrown away. If this happens, the patients are asked if they would consent to the eggs and embryos to be used for research.

      If they say yes to this, then I will give the eggs and embryos some chemicals and drugs to stimulate growth and cell division and put them in my incubator. In about 20% of them, they do start to grow and divide and if they reach 5 days old without arresting (dying) then I can take some very fine needles and under the microscope, remove the inner cells which are the embryonic stem cells. These cells are then put back in the incubator in a special fluid containing sugars and salts and other chemicals and hopefully they continue to grow.

    • Photo: Emma King

      Emma King answered on 16 Mar 2011:

      Hi harryc123, thanks for your question. I’m not sure what you mean about stem cells being artificial – they are not created in a lab if that is what you are asking, because we don’t have the technology to make cells from scratch yet.
      The embryonic stem cells that we use come from very early embryos, normally ones that are donated by couples who are going through IVF to try and have a baby. They can choose to donate any surplus embryos to research if they want to – they don’t have to if they don’t want to and they don’t get paid or anything for doing it.
      So the cells that we use are real cells, we just collect them at a very early stage when they still have the ability to divide and make other types of cells.

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