• E-mail
• Print
• Comment
• Font Size
• Digg
• del.icio.us
• Discuss article

GPI Applauds Cloned Stem Cell Breakthrough in Primates

Posted on: Thursday, 15 November 2007, 12:00 CST

The Genetics Policy Institute (GPI) applauds the researchers at the Oregon Health and Science University for their groundbreaking accomplishment of producing stem cells from cloned primate embryos.

"The creation of cloned stem cell lines in primates is a milestone," said Bernard Siegel, executive director of the Genetics Policy Institute. "Stem cells derived in this fashion in humans could lead to cell therapies using a patient's own cells and thereby avoid the problems on immune suppression. In the future, researchers may create cloned cell lines from patients burdened by diabetes and other diseases. Such cells could be studied to determine the root causes for disease or be used to test drugs in a lab dish rather than in a person."

"The public and media should be aware that opponents of embryonic stem cell research might try to exploit this news to inflame opinion against therapeutic cloning technologies and seek overly broad restrictions both at the state and federal level. Reproductive cloning of babies remains unsafe and unethical. The FDA interdicted such research in 2001. Nevertheless, research foes, such as Senator Sam Brownback of Kansas, persistently call for legislation not only that would criminalize reproductive cloning, but would impose a ban that would forbid therapeutic cloning of stem cells, also as known as somatic cell nuclear transfer or SCNT. Such legislation most often proposes Draconian prison terms and fines on researchers and patients who might seek potentially lifesaving treatments through therapeutic cloning," Siegel said.

"The public is becoming increasingly aware of the fear tactics of the stem cell research opponents who by their words and deeds seek to muddy the public policy debates by blurring the line between reproductive cloning and therapeutic cloning of stem cells. Cloning babies is not inevitable. The threats of rogue scientists and would-be reproductive-cloners were proven to be a sham. Society must be careful to draw the line to ban reproductive cloning but not to destroy or delay the hope for cures by imposing unreasonable restrictions on embryonic stem cell research," Siegel added.

The Genetics Policy Institute is a leading public interest organization promoting stem cell research. It serves as a unifying voice for patients, researchers, universities and nonprofits and is the principal catalyst for the Pro-Cures Movement. In the United Nations, GPI led the successful defense of SCNT, which was under threat of being banned by world treaty. For more information about GPI, visit their website at www.genpol.org.

Source: Business Wire

More News in this Category