UK scientists seek approval to clone human embyro

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UK bid to clone human embryo

Agencies
Wednesday June 16, 2004

A request from British-based scientists to clone human embryos for medical purposes was today being considered by the UK authority with the power to grant licences.

The scientists were seeking permission from the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) for a first attempt at therapeutic cloning in Britain, which could open a new era of research into possible remedies for incurable diseases.

Stem cells taken from human embryos have the potential to be grown into any kind of tissue in the body - including bone, muscle, nerves and organs - and could therefore be use to regenerate damaged tissue. The advantage of stem cells taken from cloned embryos is that the body is unlikely to reject a transplant that shares its exact DNA.

The group that put in the application, led by Dr Miodrag Stojkovic from the institute of human genetics at Newcastle University and Professor Alison Murdoch from the Newcastle Fertility Centre, plans to investigate the possibility of creating insulin-producing cells that can be transplanted into diabetic patients.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/genes/article/0,2763,1239941,00.html