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Britain to decide first EU stem cell license
June 16 – A team of scientists of the University of Newcastle in England has applied for Europe's first license to create human embryos for stem cell research. Britain's Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority is considering the University's application for human therapeutic cloning as a source of stem cells. The team hope to create human embryos by taking skin cells from patients with type-1 diabetes, extracting genetic material from them and implant them in enucleated eggs to stimulate an embryo from which stem cells will be extracted. The stem cells will be cultured, resulting in pancreatic cells with the same genetic makeup as the patient that may be used to produce insulin. The HFEA is not expected to make a decision in near future.
[Source: Reuters]
