[extropy-chat] Creator of Dolly the sheep applies for therapeutic cloning licence

[Brett Paatsch]

http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/cgi/content/full/328/7447/1036-a?etoc

London Nadeeja Koralage 
"The scientist who cloned Dolly the sheep has announced that he will apply for a licence to clone human embryos.

Professor Ian Wilmut told the BMJ that he still opposed reproductive cloning but that the research could provide new treatments for diseases such as motor neurone disease that may involve the use of stem cells or small molecule drugs.

Therapeutic cloning has been legal in the United Kingdom since 2001, but the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority has not yet awarded a licence to any group to do it; nor will the authority will disclose whether any group has applied to do it. Professor Wilmut's work would involve removing the DNA from a cell that belonged to someone with motor neurone disease. This DNA would be inserted into a precursor cell, which is taken from an embryo at a very early stage, and developed into motor neurones, which degenerate in motor neurone disease.

Life expectancy in patients with motor neurone disease, from onset of symptoms, is two to five years, with half of all patients dying within 14 months of diagnoses.

George Levy, chief executive of the Motor Neurone Disease Association, said therapeutic cloning "may revolutionise the future treatment [of this condition] as well as a great number of other degenerative conditions."

He said that he recognised that therapeutic cloning raised important moral, ethical, and religious concerns, but added: "We will support this work as long as we are satisfied it is legal, has a sound scientific rationale, and has the potential to bring us closer to treatments."

Fertility expert Professor Robert Winston said that he was "surprised" at the press attention received by the proposed application: "A very small minority, for religious reasons, believe that an embryo at this stage is the same as a human being. But the vast majority of people in the UK believe that this is not the case. The wide scientific consensus in the UK is that this kind of research is immensely useful and very good.

"Motor neurone disease is a very nasty disease. It is an ethical imperative that we research ways of treating it."

Professor Winston added that he had four licences from the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority for various projects but was not involved in therapeutic cloning.

Patrick Cushworth, spokesman for the pro-life charity Life, said the application would give false hope to people with motor neurone disease.

However, he was certain that Professor Wilmut's application would be successful: "If the authority were to deny Professor Wilmut the licence, it would reveal the lack of confidence there is in this legislation."

Professor David King, director of the independent watchdog Human Genetics Alert, said the research risked giving "crucial help to those who want to clone babies." He added that his organisation would write to the authority urging it not to allow the research to go ahead.

The application will be going through ethical committees before being submitted to the authority."

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- Brett Paatsch
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