Japan to Allow Limited Human Embryonic Cloning

Last week, an expert committee in Japan's science ministry agreed to lift a 2001 ban on human cloning for research purposes. The amendment, expected to be effective later this year, maps out rigorous ethical regulations under which the research could proceed. Reproductive cloning would still be illegal.

A group in Japan has expressed intentions to clone embryos for research. But serious hurdles remain, including the low availability of human eggs for research due to strict prohibitions on compensation.