Interspecies nuclear transfer: implications for embryonic stem cell biology

Accessibility of human oocytes for research poses a serious ethical challenge to society. This fact categorically holds true when pursuing some of the most promising areas of research, such as somatic cell nuclear transfer and embryonic stem cell studies. One approach to overcoming this limitation is to use an oocyte from one species and a somatic cell from another. Recently, several attempts to capture the promises of this approach have met with varying success, ranging from establishing human embryonic stem cells to obtaining live offspring in animals. This review focuses on the challenges and opportunities presented by the formidable task of overcoming biological differences among species.