Dolly creator Prof Ian Wilmut shuns cloning (no need to destroy human cloned embryos)

Telegraph UK ^ | Nov. 16, 2007 | Roger Highfield

[enough_idiocy]

The scientist who created Dolly the sheep, a breakthrough that provoked headlines around the world a decade ago, is to abandon the cloning technique he pioneered to create her.

[H]e has decided not to pursue a licence to clone human embryos, which he was awarded just two years ago, as part of a drive to find new treatments for the devastating degenerative condition, Motor Neuron disease.

His inspiration comes from the research by Prof Shinya Yamanaka at Kyoto University, which suggests a way to create human embryo stem cells without the need for human eggs, which are in extremely short supply, and without the need to create and destroy human cloned embryos, which is bitterly opposed by the pro life movement.

Prof Yamanaka has shown in mice how to turn skin cells into what look like versatile stem cells potentially capable of overcoming the effects of disease.

This pioneering work to revert adult cells to an embryonic state has been reproduced by a team in America and Prof Yamanaka is, according to one British stem cell scientist, thought to have achieved the same feat in human cells.

[enough_idiocy]

Key line: "create human embryo stem cells without the need for human eggs, which are in extremely short supply, and without the need to create and destroy human cloned embryos, which is bitterly opposed by the pro life movement."

So I guess Bush wasn't standing in the way of scientific breakthrough after all. Libbies rush to accept anything without considering the costs and alternatives.

[enough_idiocy]

My parenthetical should be

“no need to destroy human cloned embryos”

[muawiyah]

This is rather old news, but getting the Dolly cloner to 'fess up to it is very helpful.

[SuziQ]

This would be outstanding!

[Dajjal]

Pro-Life ping