‘Legal bombshell’ threatens European stem cell treatment

PATIENTS could be denied revolutionary stem cell treatments by a legal bombshell from Europe that threatens to blow apart the biotech industry, scientists have warned.

The European Court of Justice is considering a test case that could make it unlawful to patent applications using embryonic stem cells on moral grounds.

Fears about the outcome have been raised by an influential ruling recommendation that patenting the use of human embryo cells breaches ethical principles.