Posted on 11/28/2004 2:12:44 PM PST by BritishBulldog
Swiss voters on Sunday night gave the green light to stem cell research in a referendum that business and political leaders had described as crucial to maintaining the country's position as a leader in the drugs industry.
Polls on Sunday showed two thirds of voters had backed government proposals allowing stem cell research on surplus human embryos. The Swiss move follows groundbreaking steps to enable stem cell research in the UK and, most recently, California.
It could pave the way for Switzerland to foster a stem cell research industry that could eventually rival those of the UK, the US and some Asian countries.
Scientists believe embryonic stem cells hold promise for treating illnesses such as juvenile diabetes and Parkinson's disease, and spinal cord injuries, because the cells can adapt themselves into almost any type of tissue or cell.
The research will be subject to tight conditions. Stem cell production will be limited to embryos not more than seven days old, while therapeutic cloning and trade in embryos are banned, along with research on the embryos themselves.
The Swiss debate has closely mirrored the heated exchanges in other countries. Although the law permitting stem cell research was approved by the Swiss parliament in 2003, it had not been implemented. Religious and pro-life groups, along with leftwing opponents of gene technology, collected enough signatures to prompt a referendum, under the country's strict rules of direct democracy.
The measure was supported by the four political parties in the governing coalition, along with big business. The poll was the second time in recent years that the Swiss voted in favour of controversial medical research. In 1998, a referendum rejected a proposal to ban genetic engineering.
In spite of its small population, Switzerland is a leading centre of research into drugs and disease. Novartis and Roche, two of the world's leading pharmaceuticals groups, are based in the country, as are a large number of smaller biotechnology companies.
Pharmaceuticals and biotech stocks, along with healthcare in general, account for about one third of the total capitalisation of the Zurich stock exchange.
Earlier this month, Californians narrowly voted in favour of a $3bn (€2.24bn) 10-year programme to support embryonic stem cell research in an attempt to put their state at the forefront of scientific endeavour in what may one day become a key area in the treatment of disease.
The measure was backed by Arnold Schwarzenegger, the Republican state governor, in spite of opposition in the Republican party and from President George W. Bush. Conservatives in the Republican party have fiercely opposed stem cell research on religious and moral grounds.
Consider also the fact that about 25% of the vote (postal) is subject to massive fraud.
are you swiss?
I'm well informed
When the "surplus" runs out, no worries we'll just make more.
Good for the Swiss!
Godless Euro alert
I'm intrigued to know what "surplus" means in this context.
I assume that it refers to embryos created in vitro for infertility treatment but which are not needed for implantation once a viable pregnancy has been confirmed on the prospective mother?
If this is the case, what else can be done with them?
Wouldn't they be destroyed anyway?
This will be the first human cloning. A google search for cloning + "stem cell" will give you--->>
http://www.google.com/search?num=100&hl=en&lr=&c2coff=1&q=%22stem+cell%22++cloning+&btnG=Search
Think cloning. Cloning of humans. That's what stem cell research is.
I bloody well hope so!
;o)
Me too.
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