Human cloning 'unfeasible'
Two members of the European Commission's high level group on life sciences (LSHLG) dismissed human cloning as unfeasible at a press conference held on 18 December to mark a two-day conference on 'Stem cells: therapies for the future' in Brussels. Chairman of the LSHLG, Professor Axel Kahn from the Institut Cochin de Génétique Moleculaire, Paris, and Professor Anne McLaren, of the Wellcome CRC Institute in Cambridge, UK (also a member of the LSHLG), said the possibility of creating a human clone is unrealistic at present. Despite the recent announcement by US company Advanced Cell Technology that they have succeeded in cloning a six-cell human embryo, Professor Kahn asserted that 'nobody knows how to make a cloned human embryo,' adding that it is not yet possible to do this as scientists 'haven't mastered the scientific technique let alone the ethics.' Professor McLaren added that human cloning by somatic cell nuclear transfer, which she said 'might not even work,' would be both 'élitist and labour intensive.' Professor Kahn also said research into therapeutic cloning has engendered 'great hopes and expectations but also great difficulties.' While conceding that stem cells taken from early embryos rather than adult or foetal tissue have the advantage that they can proliferate into any cell in the body, Professor McLaren said research on them raises 'serious ethical problems.' She said it is important that European research is conducted to the highest standard, adding that Europe could regulate the issue better than in the USA, where public stem cell research is controlled but there are no restrictions on industry-funded research. Speaking to CORDIS News, Professor McLaren also said that the discovery of a new type of 'perfect' cell by scientists in Montreal, Canada, does not make other stem cell research redundant at this stage. She said that although the new cells - which are found in bone marrow and do not cause immuno-rejection even when transferred between species - are an exciting new research lead, their rarity in comparison with stem cells means more work will need to be done to develop their potential. Etienne Magnien, Head of Unit for Policy Matters in the Research DG's 'Life sciences: research for biotechnology, agriculture and food' Directorate', told CORDIS News that the European Parliament's rejection of the Fiori report on human genetics on 29 November was not a failure in itself as the work of the Parliament's temporary committee on human genetics has fuelled further debate on the issue. Mr Magnien, who helped to organise the stem cells conference, said he was very pleased with the interest the event had attracted and the wide range of delegates. He pointed to the strong turnout from representatives of EU Member State parliaments, which he attributed to the diversity of national approaches to the issue and Member States' desire to keep abreast of the ethical questions involved in the debate. Research Commissioner Philippe Busquin also said that the event was crucial in fuelling debate. 'We are trying to get a dialogue going,' he explained. 'We don't want things to grind to a halt.' Mr Busquin went on to clarify the division of responsibility for regulatory decision making on stem cell research in the EU. He said that ethical issues remain the responsibility of individual Member States. He says that the Commission has a 'simple' rule which it sticks by when making decisions on research in this area, that 'you cannot carry out research in a country if it is not permitted by law in that country.' He added that the Commission relies on the opinion of the European group on ethics in science and new technologies in order to guide policy.