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Embryonic Cloning History
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Fertilization
First reported attempts to fertilize mammalian eggs outside the body. -
Mammals
First report of animals (rabbits) produced through in vitro fertilization in the United States. -
Germ Cells
During the 1960s, Studies of teratocarcinomas in the testes of several inbred strains of mice indicates they originated from embryonic germ cells. The work establishes embryonal carcinoma (EC) cells as a kind of stem cell. -
In Vitro Fertilization
Edwards and Bavister fertilize the first human egg in vitro. -
Embryonic Carcinoma Cells
During the 1970s, EC cells were injected into mouse blastocysts produce chimeric mice (mice that have genetically distanct cells). Cultured stem cells were explored as models of embryonic development, although their complement of chromosomes were abnormal. -
Louise Brown
Louise Brown, the first in vitro fertilization baby is born. -
Candace Reed
Autralia's first in vitro fertilization baby, Candace Reed, is born. -
Embryonic Cells
Evans and Kaufman, and Martin derive mouse embryonic stem cells from the blastocysts. They establish culture conditions for growing pluripotent mouse ES cells in vitro. The cells generated all three primary germ layers. They saw that injected ES cells caused teratomas to form. The first IVF baby, Elizabeth Carr, is born in the United States. -
ES Cells in Vitro
Non-human primate ES cells were cultured in vitro from rhesus monkeys and then from marmosets. They are pluripotent and differentiate into cells types derived from all three primary germ layers. Researchers learned that the primate ES cells resemble human EC cells and indicate that it should be possible to derive and maintain human ES cells in vitro. -
Funding
Congress banned federal funding for research on embryos, which severely limited a lot of the progress of stem cells. -
Thomson
Thomson derived human ES cells from human blastocysts donated by couples. Several cell lines were established that formed teratomas when injected into immune-deficient mice. The teratomas include cell types derived from all three primary germ layers, demonstrating the pluripotency of human ES cells. -
Differentiation in Vitro
As human ES cell lines were shared and new lines were created, more research groups reported methods to direct the differentiation of the cells in vitro. Many of the methods are aimed at generating human tissues for transplantation purposes such as neurons that release dopamine, and cardiac muscle cells.