Index
























































From Bio Journal - August 2010


Ban on transplantation of iPS cells for clinical applications also lifted

A meeting of the specialist committee of the MHLW was held on 30 June 2010, at which the revised draft of the Human Stem Cell Clinical Research Guideline, for which the solicitation of public comments closed on 04 June, was finally approved. (See BJ June 2010) The former guideline covered only gsomatic stem cellsh, such as hematopoietic stem cells, and the main focus of this guideline revision was the inclusion of induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells. The draft compiled in April, while covering iPS cells in the guideline, put forward the policy of only allowing the cells to be implanted in the person who provided the original somatic cells. However, since there were a number of opposing opinions in the public comments, this was reversed. A policy to approve the transplantation of iPS cells created from the cells of another person was then put forward and this resulted in the unusual occurrence of this being accepted in the final document.





Closeup: Current state of cloned livestock

On 25 June 2010, MAFF announced the current state of cloned livestock to March 2010 See BJ February 2010). As ever, abnormalities are numerous, and since it has now become clear that there is very little merit in developing cloned livestock, the statistics indicate that the number of pregnant livestock has fallen dramatically, and development has come to a virtual standstill.


State of Livestock Clone Research in Japan (head)
2009*2010**
Total No. of births of germ line cell cloned cattle

722

728

Stillborn

74

75

Post-natal death

35

35

Death from sickness

104

105

Death from accidents

20

20

Provided for experiments

77

77

Sold, meat production

329

329

Missing

63

63

In research facilities, testing

20

24

In utero

5

0

Total No. of births of somatic cell cloned cattle

575

583

Stillborn

80

82

Post-natal death

94

94

Death from sickness (within 6 months of birth)

146

112

Death from sickness (later than 6 months after birth)

36

Death from accidents

9

9

Provided for experiments

180

193

In research facilities, testing

66

57

In utero

6

10

Total No. of births of somatic cell cloned pig

398

482

Stillborn

88

93

Post-natal death

40

51

Death from sickness

119

142

Death from accidents

16

18

Provided for experiments

101

134

In research facilities, testing

34

44

In utero

14

19

(Mini-pigs are not included)

Total No. of births of somatic cell cloned goat

9

9

Stillborn

1

1

Post-natal death

3

3

Death from sickness

3

3

Death from accidents

0

0

Provided for experiments

0

0

In research facilities, testing

2

2

In utero

0

0

* Accumulated total for the period 1998 to end September 2009
** Accumulated total for the period 1998 to end March 2010






Note: External links provided for the information of users in no way implies CBIC endorsement for views expressed in those websites, nor is CBIC responsible for the content of external internet sites.

(English Index)