Australia Grants License To Create Cloned Human Embryos

The Australian government's National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) said Wednesday it has granted its first license allowing scientists to create cloned human embryos to obtain embryonic stem cells.

The license was issued to the in vitro-fertilization firm Sydney IVF, which reportedly has access to 7,200 human eggs for its research.

If the company is successful in its endeavor, it would be the first in the world, according to NHMRC. Although scientists in other countries have used a variety of techniques to make stem cells that are similar to embryonic cells, none have successfully obtained embryonic stem cells from cloned human embryos.

Australia lifted its ban on such research, known as therapeutic cloning or somatic cell nuclear transfer, in December 2006 amid an unusual parliamentary conscience vote. However, national legislation still restricts the use of excess IVF embryos and the creation and use of other embryos in research is restricted, and all human cloning for reproductive purposes is prohibited.

Somatic cell nuclear transfer is a method in which DNA from the nucleus of an unfertilized egg is removed and...