Britain Gives Green Light to Human Embryo Cloning

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Britain Gives Green Light to Human Embryo Cloning

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Britain Gives Green Light to Human

Embryo Cloning

Wed Feb 27, 2:16 PM ET

By Dominic

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's scientists won a

green light on

Wednesday to pioneer the cloning of human

embryos for research and

set up the world's first embryo cell bank.

An influential House of Lords committee ruled

that embryo cloning --

which federally funded academics in the United

States are barred from

carrying out -- should be allowed to proceed

under strict conditions.

Committee chairman Harries, the Bishop

of Oxford, said the

cells taken from embryos within two weeks of

fertilization could be

crucial for research into finding a cure for

debilitating diseases such as

Parkinson's and Alzheimer's.

" We conclude that for this to be fully realized,

no avenue of research

should be blocked off at this stage, " Harries

told a news conference.

Last year Britain became the first country

explicitly to allow the creation

of embryos as a source of stem cells -- the

primitive master cells which

turn into other cell types and could be used to

find cures to a wide range

of diseases.

The regulations were held up by a court ruling

in November after

protests by pro-life campaigners, who say

creating embryos for research

is the first step toward reproductive cloning

and that adult human or

animal cells should be used instead.

Prime Minister Tony Blair (news - web sites)'s

government rushed

through revised legislation and an appeal court

upheld the new laws last

month, but research was effectively put on hold

until Wednesday's

announcement by the Lords' committee.

The British Medical Association said it strongly

supported the verdict.

" This research offers real hope to the millions

of patients with conditions

like Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and diabetes, " it

said in a statement.

STEM CELL BANK

The committee said that one condition for

granting a research license to

clone human embryos should be that any " cell

line " generated from it be

deposited in a stem cell bank.

Before any license was granted, health

authorities should also ensure

that there were no suitable existing cell lines

in the bank.

" We are pleased that the Lords have recommended

the establishment of

a stem cell bank as a matter of urgency. Such a

bank will allow

researchers to explore this enormous potential

in a controlled

environment, " said Professor Sir Radda,

chief executive of the

Medical Research Council.

Critics of human embryo cloning say it

represents the first step on a

slippery slope to reproductive cloning. " At the

very least there should be

an international moratorium on embryo cloning

until a ban on

reproductive cloning is in place, " the

independent watchdog Human

Genetics Alert said.

The Society for the Protection of Unborn

Children said the Lord's report

was a " whitewash. "

" (The committee's) membership was stacked with

supporters of human

cloning, many with close links to bodies with a

vested interest in embryo

research, " SPUC's Ozimic said.

But paralyzed Superman actor Reeve

says he hopes stem

cell research might give him the chance to walk

again.

Reeve, confined to a wheelchair since breaking

his neck in a riding

accident in 1995, told BBC radio this week he

hoped scientists would be

able to turn the stem cells into spinal cord

tissue.

" I would go to the UK, I would go anywhere in

the world for therapy

that is safe and could accomplish the goal of

recovery, " he said.