SYDNEY – The Australian government has granted first license to create cloned human embryos to obtain embryonic stem cells (ES cells). The in vitro-fertilization firm Sydney (IVF) was granted the permission, has access to 7,200 human eggs for its research work.

Scientists in different regions have made stem cells. They believe are similar to embryonic cells by using multiple techniques, but none was able to obtain ES cells from cloned human embryos.Sydney IVF’s research would be strictly monitored, said Dr John Findlay, Chair of the NHMRC’s licensing committee.

“They have been given a license to do therapeutic cloning,” Findlay told Reuters, adding, the scientists are not allowed to approach the “fetal stage”.
“They can go to the stage called blastocyst (stage 4-5 days after fertilization). They must stop at that point,” he said.

Initially, any stem cells extracted would be used to test new drug formulations to fight against diseases, such as muscular dystrophy and Huntington’s disease, and later therapeutic cloning would be used to produce body tissue matched to patients.

The director of Australians for Ethical Stem Cell Research, David van Gend, criticized this Government action, saying new technology meant cloning was no longer necessary.

“We have regulations in Australia such that the abuses of cloning wouldn’t happen here, we will not get live birth cloning,” he told local radio.

“We won’t get cloning right through to the fetal stage in order to use them for organ transplants, but if we teach the world how to clone you can be quite sure it will be used in less rigorous jurisdictions.”

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