[Campbell Biology P.480] A research team aims to produce embryonic stem cells that genetical... | Practice Question

A research team aims to produce embryonic stem cells that genetically match a patient with a rare genetic disorder to treat a specific tissue degeneration, thereby avoiding immune rejection. Based on the provided text, which of the following approaches would be most suitable for this purpose, and what is the common term for this process?

  • A: Deriving ES cells from donated surplus embryos; Reproductive cloning.
  • B: Reprogramming the patient's own differentiated cells into iPS cells; Therapeutic cloning.
  • C: Transferring a nucleus from the patient's differentiated cell into an enucleated egg to produce a cloned blastocyst, then deriving ES cells; Therapeutic cloning.
  • D: Culturing adult stem cells from the patient's bone marrow; Reproductive cloning.

Explanation

The text describes therapeutic cloning as the process where a nucleus from a differentiated cell is transferred into an enucleated egg to produce a cloned blastocyst, from which ES cells can be derived. This method creates patient-matched ES cells, thus avoiding immune rejection, and its main aim is to treat disease.