How does nuclear transfer work?
The way nuclear transfer is done is to take an unfertilized egg cell (oocyte) from a friend, relative or clinic donor. Its nucleus (DNA) is removed and replaced with the DNA from the patient who needs the cells. Often the patient’s nucleus is taken from a skin cell. Once the nucleus has been transferred, the egg is now genetically identical to the patient. This egg is abnormal for many reasons and cannot develop normally, but it can be tricked into beginning to divide (despite never having been fertilized). It undergoes cell divisions, eventually forming a blastocyst-like structure. The inner cell mass of the blastocyst is then removed to generate an embryonic stem cell line. This embryonic stem cell line is genetically identical to the patient whose skin cell was used as the source of the donor nucleus, and mature cells derived from this embryonic stem cell can then be transplanted into the patient without fear of immune rejection [Source: Life Science at University of Michigan Resear
