Australia on path to legalise therapeutic cloning
(wz) Australian politicians begin their first round of votes this week to decide the fate of a controversial new law that could legalise therapeutic embryonic cloning in the country for the first time. Reproductive human cloning will, however, remain banned.
Therapeutic cloning, otherwise known as somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT), involves introducing a person’s DNA into an unfertilised egg to create stem cell tissues that are genetically identical to that person. The technique is thought to hold great potential for treating a number of debilitating diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and cystic fibrosis.
Last December, Australia’s House of Representatives voted in favour of an amendment to the Infertility Treatment Act, which would allow such research to be conducted on unfertilised eggs left over from in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment, however, before new legislation is passed, it must first be approved by each individual state.
This week, the state of Victoria will kick off the voting process, with Queensland and New South Wales expected to soon follow. more…
From: »DrugResearcher.com«