Somatic cell nuclear transfer

A technique in which the nucleus of a somatic cell (any cell of the body except sperm cells and egg cells) is injected, or transfered, into an egg, that has had its nucleus removed. If the new egg is then implanted into the womb of an animal, an individual will be born that is a clone. The clone has the identical genetic material as the somatic cell, which supplied the nucleus that carries the genetic material. This procedure is very inefficient and was first developed for agricultural purposes. However, in human medicine, this technique can be used to isolate embryonic stem cells from eggs that have undergone nuclear transfer. When the somatic cell is supplied from the cells of a person, the stem cells isolated from the developing eggs can be used to make a tissue that will not be rejected by that person, because they have the same genetic material. In this way, 'customized' embryonic stem cells could be made for everyone who needed them.

The transfer of a cell nucleus from a somatic cell into an egg from which the nucleus has been removed.