August 30th, 2004
Update On UN Therapeutic Cloning Ban
The BBC reports that a United Nations ban on therapeutic cloning - strongly backed by the current US administration and narrowly defeated earlier this year - may be reintroduced as early as next month. Therapeutic cloning is vital to much of the most promising research into regenerative medicine and related potential therapies for age-related conditions. Therapeutic cloning has not been banned in the US (but not for lack of trying, and it is illegal in many states). The only upside to this whole shady business is that "it is clear that if the UN bans all forms of human cloning, the UK, and other countries which currently permit carefully regulated therapeutic cloning, will not sign up to it."