Scientists given research cloning go-ahead (UK)
By BBC News,
BBC News
| 08. 11. 2004
The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority granted the licence to experts at the University of Newcastle.
They are investigating new treatments for conditions including diabetes, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease.
The controversial decision could open a new era of research by scientists looking for remedies for diseases.
| |
This is an important area of research and a responsible use of technology
Suzi Leather, Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority Listen to her interview
|
The research will take place at the International Centre for Life in Newcastle, involving experts from the Institute of Human Genetics at Newcastle University, and the Newcastle Fertility Centre.
Scientists there believe this is the first time such a licence has been granted in any European country.
They warn it will be at least five years - if not many more - before patients could receive stem cell treatments based on their work.
But the ProLife Party has said it is considering mounting a legal challenge against the HFEA's decision to allow the research to go ahead.
Support
...
Related Articles
By Philip Ball, Quanta Magazine | 06.18.2026
Since its molecular structure was deduced in the 1950s, DNA has been hailed by many biologists as the secret of life. They’ve read and studied the information stored in the DNA found in the cells of living organisms, known as...
By Jennifer Takhar, Carolyn Wilson-Nash, and Chloe He, BioNews | 06.22.2026
Imagine wanting to have a child and discovering, at every stage, that the system was not designed with you in mind. This is the reality for many LGBTQ+ people in the UK who seek fertility treatment each year.
Our study...
By Arche Noah, GMWatch | 06.17.2026
The European Parliament has voted for a wide-reaching deregulation of New Genomic Techniques (NGTs). There was no majority for amendments stopping patents on conventionally classically bred plants or NGT plants. “Today’s vote is a missed opportunity to protect Europe’s farmers...
By Carl Zimmer, The New York Times | 06.04.2026
Scientists at Columbia University have edited the DNA of early human embryos with unprecedented accuracy, an achievement that could open the way to babies engineered with particular characteristics.
The prospect has fueled controversy for years. On the one hand, the...
