The cloned cells would be genetically identical to the patient's and therefore theoretically overcome problems of transplant rejection, which happens because the immune system fights foreign tissue. Experts say the technique could prevent or cure scores of diseases and would touch nearly every field of medicine. The government said it recognized that the creation of embryos by cloning will be unacceptable to some people. Since human stem cells were isolated in a lab at the University of Wisconsin-Madison for the first time in 1998, advances in the field have come rapidly. In June, scientists reported converting bone marrow cells into liver cells, offering hope that cells from adults can be made to regress and redirect themselves to form different types, without the need to create an embryo.
Scientists believe research in embryonic stem cells is vital to getting that breakthrough.
While the potential benefits of stem cell therapies with cloning are widely recognized, opponents say no advance is worth research on embryos. Opponents were quick to denounce the report, saying it opens the door to cloned babies and takes no account of the latest advances, which suggest adult cells might be able to be reprogrammed to become other types of cells. The group called for a new investigation before legislation is submitted to Parliament. Donaldson said the potential for adult cells to be redirected is limited. Lord Winston, a fertility specialist and ardent campaigner for stem cell research, said the evidence the work will be beneficial is so overwhelming that it would be unethical not to pursue it.