Last week the United Kingdom granted its first licence for researchers to create human embryonic stem cells by means of cell nuclear transfer, known as "therapeutic cloning" - it is believed to be the first such license granted in Europe. It is currently lobbying for EU countries to be allowed to decide for themselves whether to allow therapeutic cloning.

The UK's decision has instigated heated debate across the world to the morals of the decision. Germany's foremost medical associations and leading political parties called on the German government on Friday to take a firmer stand against cloning. Germany currently outlaws cloning, however a feeling in the country is arising that the ethical stand against cloning should be more ruthless, and that it should be completely banned throughout all EU member countries.

The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) granted the licence on 11th August to Professor Alison Murdoch and Dr Miodrag Stojkovic at the Newcastle Centre for Life, who will use the stem cells they generate to research diabetes, among other diseases.

Reproductive cloning to create babies is illegal in Britain, but therapeutic cloning is allowed, under strict guidelines. "The HFEA is there to make sure any research involving human embryos is scrutinised and properly regulated," Ms Leather said.

A decision will be made by the United Nations with regards to an international treaty banning cloning later this year. The ban would include both therapeutic cloning, which was authorised in Britain last week, and reproductive cloning (cloning is used to actually produce human beings).

Maria Böhmer, deputy chair of Germany's conservative opposition, the Christian Democratic Union, warned that in cloning, "the human being is degraded to a material." He called Britain's decision as "an extremely alarming and disastrous development for Europe."

Moreover, all three of the leading political parties in Germany have expressed their desire to see their country's ban stay in place. Wolfgang Wodarg, a member of the ruling Social Democratic Party and chairman of Germany's official bio-ethics commission, called Britain's decision a "catastrophe".

It appears that more and more countries are using the false distinction between so-called 'therapeutic' and 'reproductive' cloning to allow the creation of human beings as living research subjects.

In recent months, it has been reported that several countries have allowed scientists to proceed with cloning experiments, either openly or clandestinely through loopholes in regulating legislation. These countries include Britain, Korea, France, Canada, Japan and Israel.

Anthony Ozimic, political secretary for the UK's Society for the Protection of Unborn Children said recently, "Human cloning is unnecessary because adult stem cell research, a rapidly advancing ethical alternative to embryo experimentation, is already providing treatments for the very same diseases that pro-cloning scientists claim to be interested in treating. Even in the unlikely event that experiments on embryos did prove to have some beneficial effect, it would still be unacceptable to use human beings in this way."

Meanwhile, Pope John Paul on Sunday condemned human cloning as an arrogant attempt to improve on God's creation.

The pope said medical research should not try to "manipulate" human beings "according to a project considered with arrogance better than that of the Creator himself. The way taught by Christ is another: it is that of respect for human beings," he said, urging ethically responsible science.

The Vatican has repeatedly condemned all attempts at human cloning, comparing it to the experiments carried out by Nazis in World War II.






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