Human cloning plan defended

SCIENTISTS yesterday defended their plans to clone human embryos as research watchdogs considered whether or not they should be allowed to go ahead.

A licence application from Newcastle University in Britain was on the agenda yesterday at a meeting of the British Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority’s Research Committee.

The five committee members are likely to recommend acceptance of the proposal soon, despite opposition by pro-life groups.

The Newcastle team wants permission to clone embryos that can be used to develop radical new treatments for diabetes.

Cloning to create duplicate human babies is outlawed in Britain but therapeutic cloning for medical research has been legal since 2002. It involves cloning embryos and harvesting stem cells from them which could be used to treat a wide range of diseases.

The embryos are destroyed before they are 14 days old and never allowed to develop beyond a cluster of cells the size of a pinhead. Last month, the Stem Cell Group at the International Centre for Life in Newcastle applied for a licence to permit human cloning as part of its research programme.

The eggs used would be donated by couples undergoing in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) treatment.

Stem cells are ‘master cells’ that can become many different parts of the body. Those taken from embryos have the potential to be turned into any kind of replacement tissue, including bone, muscle, nerves and organs.

Dr Miodrag Stojkovic, from the Institute of Human Genetics at Newcastle University, who is heading the project, said: “I will be very disappointed if our application is turned down because I believe this research holds out great promise for the future of modern medicine.

“I see no scientific reason why we should not progress with our work. I completely understand the ethical objections, but we are using eggs are surplus to IVF treatment, which failed to be fertilised.

“Instead of being thrown away they have been donated for research,” he said.