Britain to allow cloning of human embryos

The Associated Press
Updated: 4:41 p.m. ET Aug. 11, 2004

LONDON - Britain granted its first license for human cloning Wednesday, joining South Korea on the leading edge of stem cell research, which is restricted by the Bush administration and which many scientists believe may lead to new treatments for a range of diseases.

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The British license went to Newcastle University researchers who hope eventually to create insulin-producing cells that could be transplanted into diabetics.

South Korean scientists announced in February they had cloned an embryo and extracted the stem cells from it.

Many scientists believe stem cells hold vast promise for treating an array of diseases from diabetes to Parkinson�s. Stem cells can potentially grow into any type of human tissue and scientists hope to be able to direct the blank cells to grow into specific cell types needed for transplant.

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� The history of cloning


Stem cells can be found in adults, but scientists believe they may not be as versatile as those found in embryos. They envision using cloning to create an embryo from a patient so that stem cells extracted would be a perfect transplant match.

�Therapeutic cloning will in the immediate future be a vital tool in harnessing the power of stem cells to treat some of the major diseases which threaten humankind,� John Harris, professor of bioethics at the University of Manchester, said after the license was announced. �This decision is a signal of our society�s compassion and concern for those threatened by disease.�

Britain�s ProLife Party lamented the decision and said it was considering whether it could sue.

www.msnbc.msn.com...

Well, it was just a matter of time before it became licensed and legal somewhere in the world. What do you think ATS? Is it coming to American soon?

It is like everything in this world if US does not do it well somebody else will and life will go on.

Yes, it will happen here in the future imo. The only thing stopping it now is an extreme religous conservative thats inhabiting the White House.

To be fair though, it will take some major successes with human embryo cloning and stem cell research to tip the scales a bit in favor of it. Once a major disease or genetic mutation is cured the pressure behind getting them approved or extended here will increase ten fold.

To religious conservatives I would just say what I always do...if you don't approve of it, don't participate in it. Their moral views shouldn't dictate what others want to achieve.

How long till the cloning treating disease to creating a whole new life?

Originally posted by mpeake
How long till the cloning treating disease to creating a whole new life?

It will never happen, it is a fine and moral line to that.

And for my beliefs, I believe that a body can not exits on his own without a soul so cloning a human to full term will not happen and if it does the results will put religion on a death or stay alive situation.

Originally posted by marg6043

Originally posted by mpeake
How long till the cloning treating disease to creating a whole new life?

It will never happen, it is a fine and moral line to that.

And for my beliefs, I believe that a body can not exits on his own without a soul so cloning a human to full term will not happen and if it does the results will put religion on a death or stay alive situation.

Theoretically, if you can close a sheep with no soul, you can clone a human with no soul. The scientist won't let a soul hinder them from completing that project. Just the gov't. And you're right, religion as a whole would go into a frenzy.

Well can you imagine creating a human being just alone to full term and then wait if it has a soul or not, because believe it or not that what must religious organizations will argue about. Can that person been call human or not.

I think the hole situation is hilarious but we will wait and see.

In medical terms I mean. If you clone a human - cells, DNA and all that stuff - which bit in the long list of components is the "soul"?

Originally posted by crossfire
In medical terms I mean. If you clone a human - cells, DNA and all that stuff - which bit in the long list of components is the "soul"?

Exactly...scientist don't have to worry about whether they put the soul gene into the cloned embryo, so the only reason they wouldn't begin growing fully developed humans is if the gov't stopped them. Personally, with the world being overpopulated as it is, I see no reason why it would even be allowed, other than for science to test what their capabilites are. Other than that, mabye for the military. You know, create a fleet of cloned soldiers. Boy, I'm getting all Star Warsy here.