Japan Moves Slowly Towards Therapeutic Cloning

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The Japan Times reports on the latest step in the slow and drawn out process of allowing therapeutic cloning for regenerative medicine research in that country. The Council for Science and Technology Policy has issued their recommendation, based on lengthy committee deliberations, to allow heavily regulated research to proceed. Now the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry and the Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Ministry will draw up guidelines. There is no timeline for this process, and therapeutic cloning - essential to the most promising stem cell research - remains illegal in Japan until it is completed.

Link: http://www.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/getarticle.pl5?nn20040724f2.htm