Copyright 2004 Associated Newspapers Ltd. DAILY MAIL (London)
August 12, 2004
LENGTH: 1103 word
BYLINE: TIM UTTON SCIENCE REPORTER

Scientists were yesterday given the go-ahead to create the first human clones in Britain.

They are set to breach one of science's greatest ethical boundaries - making
embryos which are exact genetic copies of living people.

The researchers - given the green light to create hundreds of clones a year
for medical research - denied they will be 'playing God'.

They insisted they simply want to find ways of creating replacement tissues to cure diseases such as Alzheimer's and diabetes. Cloned embryos will be created to harvest stem cells - the body's 'master' cells - and after two weeks the embyos will be destroyed.

But critics warned that such 'runaway science' brings us closer to the birth
of the first human clone.

Others condemned the process as morally repugnant because it creates life simply to destroy it.

The team granted permission by the Human Embryology and Fertilisation Authority (HFEA) to carry out so-called therapeutic cloning is based at the Newcastle Centre for Life, which is affiliated to the University of Newcastle
upon Tyne.

Cloned embryos can be created by scooping out the core of a human egg - the
partcontaining the mother's genetic blueprint. In its place, scientists insert the genetic blueprint of the person to be treated.

The egg is then stimulated with chemicals and electricity, mimicking the processof fertilisation normally done by sperm. The egg starts to grow as if it has been fertilised.

Because sperm is not used to fertilise the egg, and so no 'second parent' is involved, the resulting embryo is an exact genetic copy of the donor - a clone.

The Newcastle team plans to harvest insulin-producing cells from embryos that can be transplanted into diabetic patients.

Because they are derived from the patient's own DNA they should not be rejected by the immune system.

The scientists plan to use eggs left over from test tube fertilisation treatment, and donated by couples. They will try to create up to 200 clones a year, starting this autumn.

Team member Professor Alison Murdoch said: 'The potential this research
offers is immensely exciting and we are keen to take the work we've done to the next level. We are not playing God - we are trying to cure people.'

Suzi Leather, chairman of the HFEA, said: 'After careful consideration of all the scientific, ethical, legal and medical aspects of the project, the licence committee agreed to grant an initial one-year research licence to the Newcastle Centre for Life. This is an important area of research and a responsible use of technology.

'This is not cloning to make babies. This certainly will not happen in the UK, where it is already illegal to do reproductive cloning.'

Stem cell scientists hailed the decision by the HFEA. Dr Stephen Minger, lecturer in biomedical sciences at King's College, London, said: 'This is a huge advance for British science.'

Dr Ian Wilmut, of the Roslin Institute, who led the team that cloned Dolly the sheep in 1996, said: 'There are many unpleasant human diseases that reflect the loss of cells that are not replaced. These include Parkinson's, diabetes, spinalcord injury and some forms of blindness. There is no fully effective treatment for many of these, and so the exciting approach of transferring new cells into patients is very important.'

John Gillot, spokesman for the Genetic Interest Group, which campaigns for people with disorders such as cystic fibrosis, Hunt-ington's and muscular dystrophy, said: 'The work will contribute both to the understanding of disorders and possible therapeutic approaches.'

But those ethically opposed to cloning described the HFEA's decision as 'a deplorable further step down the slippery slope'.

Professor Jack Scarisbrick, national chairman of the charity LIFE, said: 'This is manipulation, exploitation and trivialisation of human life of a frightening kind.

'The real reason for seeking this permission is probably as much about playing God and breaching taboos as curing diseases. The birth of a cloned baby will be next.'

Josephine Quintavalle, of the pro-life group Comment On Reproductive Ethics, said:

'No matter how you created it, it is a human embryo, and has as much right to life as anybody else.'

Dr David King, director of independent watchdog Human Genetics Alert, said:

'Theresearch will have no scientific or medical benefit. It is irresponsible to do the groundwork for those who want to clone babies in other countries.'

Earlier this year, researchers in South Korea announced they had produced
the first human cloned embryos.

Only a few other countries, such as Singapore, Japan and Israel, have legalised therapeutic cloning.

In most of Western Europe, Australia and the U.S, it is either banned or actively discouraged.

Maverick American fertility expert Panos Zavos already claims to have tried to create a human clone, although his first effort failed.

Q&A

Will the Newcastle team be creating cloned babies?

No. They will be creating very early stage embryos which will be destroyed after the equivalent of 14 days' gestation. This is called 'therapeutic cloning'.

Why create embryos if they are only going to be destroyed?

The team plan to harvest stem cells from the embryos. These cells have the potential to become any kind of tissue in the body, including bone, muscle, nerves and organs. They could be directed to grow into, for example, liver cells to cure liver disease, nerve cells to allow patients with spinal injury to walk again or nerve cells to overcome Alzheimer's.

Will any British scientist now be able to do therapeutic cloning?

No, each team has to apply for a licence from the HFEA. But it sets a precedent which is likely to be followed up by teams at other British universities. Therapeutic cloning was legalised in Britain in 2001.

Is this the same as trying to create a cloned baby?

Scientists insist it is totally different. But pro-life campaigners say therapeutic cloning is a 'slippery slope' towards the birth of the first cloned baby, socalled 'reproductive cloning'. The methods are similar for both procedures.

Is reproductive cloning banned?

Yes, it is illegal in Britain and most other countries of the world. The vast majority of scientists support this ban.

What are the implications of stem cell research?

Many experts believe stem cell research will offer unprecedented medical opportunities. But the Roman Catholic Church and pro-life campaigners, who regard early-stage embryos as human life which should be respected as such, are appalled.