By Lisa M. Krieger
Mercury News
For the first time, scientists have cloned a human embryo and grown it to a stage where its stem cells could be harvested for transplants, an important medical advance that raises political and ethical questions.
The research, reported by South Korean scientists in today’s issue of the journal Science, could lead to cures for Parkinson’s disease and juvenile diabetes. But it also raises the specter of producing life only to destroy it for medical purposes — and brings science one step closer to creating a cloned baby.
“If it can be replicated elsewhere, it means that we’ve taken a big step toward creating cells that match the DNA of a person who needs cell therapy, avoiding rejection problems,” said law Professor Hank Greely of Stanford University’s Center for Biomedical Ethics.
“The other side,” added Greely, “is this: It might be possible to make a baby this way.”
