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Embryonic Stem cell research - The case against...

Nature Medicine volume 7, pages 397–399 (2001)Cite this article

Although the United Kingdom government has approved the use of human embryonic stem (ES) cell/therapeutic cloning research—a move that was endorsed by the House of Lords on 22 January this year—it may not be apparent to the outside world that the British scientific community as well as the public at large is deeply divided over this issue. In the face of a substantial vote in favor of ES cell research, this division was articulated by some of those who gave evidence at the Lords session.

Despite our government's approval of this technique, some of us within the UK involved in research to develop therapies for debilitating, degenerative diseases agree with John Wyatt (Royal Free Hospital, London) when he says, “The creation and manipulation of living human embryos for the sole purpose of generating therapeutic tissue seems incompatible with respect for vulnerable human life. The redefinition of human embryos as mere biological material, as `totipotent stem cells' in order to allay public concerns, smacks of semantic trickery rather than responsible debate.” (House of Lords Hansard, 22 January 2001).

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  1. Division of Medical and Molecular Genetics GKT School of Medicine, Guy's Hospital, London, UK

    Michael Antoniou

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Antoniou, M. Embryonic Stem cell research - The case against.... Nat Med 7, 397–399 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1038/86444

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