Scientists Develop New Human Stem Cells with Half a Genome

March 16, 2016

(Reuters) –  Scientists for the first time have generated a type of embryonic stem cell that carries a single copy of the human genome rather than the usual two, a development that could advance research in gene editing, genetic screening and regenerative medicine.  Derived from a female egg, the stem cells are the first human cells known to be capable of cell division with just one copy of the parent cell’s genome, according to a study appearing on Wednesday in the journal Nature.