June 07, 2006, 07:30
Researchers at Harvard University said yesterday they have started efforts to clone human embryos as a source of valued stem cells, using only private money to bypass federal restrictions on such work. The scientists are studying how embryonic stem cells are programmed, will try to correct defects and then try to return the repaired cells to the body to battle diseases like blood disorders, ALS, known as Lou Gehrig's disease, and diabetes.
The research is controversial because scientists use human embryos which some people say amounts to taking a human life. The issue has divided Congress, with some lawmakers wanting to give it more funding and others wanting to ban it altogether. George W Bush, the US president, in 2001 restricted the use of federal money for human embryonic stem cell work to a few existing batches of cells.
But Harvard Provost Stephen Hyman told reporters that the project, which he said is critically important to trying to fight often deadly diseases, has been carefully reviewed and that the team of scientists will follow strict guidelines. Stem cells are the body's master cells and embryonic stem cells are especially powerful because they can produce any kind of tissue in the body and can be grown, virtually immortal, in laboratory dishes.
The Harvard project, which Daley said will cost millions of dollars, will be financed exclusively by private donors with not one penny of public money.
Attempts by researchers to clone human embryos fail
While Harvard is not alone in trying to clone human stem cells, its effort become America's hub for life sciences is well known. Next year it will break ground on 500 000-square-foot science complex that will house the Harvard Stem Cell Institute.
However the field has been marred by scandals. Several months ago a South Korean researcher who claimed to have cloned human embryos and obtained stem cells from them was found to have falsified his reports. Other groups claimed to have cloned actual human babies but have never produced evidence to support their claims. - Reuters
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