Ian Wilmut, the cloner of Dolly the sheep, has abandoned cloning human embryos in favour of newly developed adult stem cell research which is considered more ethical by pro-life groups.

Wilmut is now focusing on a technique pioneered by Shinya Yamanaka of Kyoto University. Yamanaka has genetically reprogrammed mouse skin cells to act like embryonic stem cells. In addition to this, the stem cells are reported to appear more versatile than stem cells taken from cloned embryos.

The news has been welcomed by pro-life groups who oppose the use of stem cells taken from embryos in research.

Josephine Quintavalle, a spokeswoman for Comment on Reproductive Ethics (CORE), was quoted by the BBC as saying, "At last scientists are starting to see reason. It is a gift to us all. We are at last going to see some common sense coming into the debate."

In addition Dr Stevens, CEO of the US based Christian Medical Association said: "We're heartened to hear that Ian Wilmut has finally come to realize that human cloning is not a viable path to curing patients, and that adult stem cells are the key to real hope and help for patients.

"Pro-life advocates for years have been pointing out many of the practical problems that finally led Mr Wilmut to just say 'no' to human cloning as a source for embryonic stem cells.

"Besides the ethical problem of subjecting women to the egg harvesting process, we would add the crucial observation that embryonic stem cells are immoral to use when obtained by destroying human life."

According the BBC, Wilmut's decision was based on scientific considerations rather than ethical ones. "We've not made this decision because it's ethically better," he said.

"To me it's always been ethically acceptable to think that if you could use cells from a human embryo to develop a treatment for a disease like motor neurone disease, for which there is no treatment at present, then that is an acceptable thing to do."