Chinese scientists create pig stem cells

 BEIJING, June 3 (Xinhua) -- Chinese scientists announced Wednesday they have succeeded in changing cells from pigs into embryonic-like stem cells, capable of developing into any type of cell in the body.

    The Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology (SIBCB) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences claimed a global breakthrough in forming pluripotent stem cells using somatic cells (cells that are not sperm or egg cells) from any animal with hooves (ungulates).

    Dr. Xiao Lei, heads of the SIBCB stem cell lab, said, "This is the first report in the world of the creation of domesticated ungulate pluripotent stem cells."

    It could open the way to creating models for human genetic diseases, genetically engineering animals for human organ transplants, and for developing pigs that were resistant to diseases such as swine flu, he said.

But there are still major problems and it will be years before we know if it will be possible to use pig organs this way. There is the fear that viruses that only affect pigs may jump into humans. However, some scientists say that if this was possible it would have happened by now as humans and pigs have lived in close proximity for millennia.

The first human tests, on patients with no other hope of survival, could begin within 18 months, although specially-bred pigs using the 'Dolly' technique would take a year or so longer to produce.