It was going to be done, sooner or later. I don't have a problem with it, but many do. Good science or evil sorcery, it does make for an interesting future.
By JEFF DONN, Associated Press Writer
BOSTON (AP) - A research company reported Sunday it had cloned the first human embryo, a development it said was aimed at producing genetically matched replacement cells for patients with a wide range of diseases.
But the news from Advanced Cell Technology of Worcester, Mass., drew swift protests from religious and political leaders who saw it as a step toward cloning human beings.
Several states, including California, have banned human cloning, and Congress is considering such a ban. But company officials insisted their work is the first step in providing hope for people with spinal injuries, heart disease and other ailments.
``These are exciting preliminary results,'' said Dr. Robert P. Lanza, one of the researchers at Advanced Cell Technology. ``This work sets the stage for human therapeutic cloning as a potentially limitless source of immune-compatible cells for tissue engineering and transplantation medicine.''
Lanza and the company's top executive Michael West said they had no interest in transplanting such early embryos into a woman's womb to give birth to a cloned human being, nor was it clear that their embryo would be capable of that.
But the Washington D.C.-based National Right to Life Committee wasted little time Sunday attacking the announcement.
By JEFF DONN, Associated Press Writer
BOSTON (AP) - A research company reported Sunday it had cloned the first human embryo, a development it said was aimed at producing genetically matched replacement cells for patients with a wide range of diseases.
But the news from Advanced Cell Technology of Worcester, Mass., drew swift protests from religious and political leaders who saw it as a step toward cloning human beings.
Several states, including California, have banned human cloning, and Congress is considering such a ban. But company officials insisted their work is the first step in providing hope for people with spinal injuries, heart disease and other ailments.
``These are exciting preliminary results,'' said Dr. Robert P. Lanza, one of the researchers at Advanced Cell Technology. ``This work sets the stage for human therapeutic cloning as a potentially limitless source of immune-compatible cells for tissue engineering and transplantation medicine.''
Lanza and the company's top executive Michael West said they had no interest in transplanting such early embryos into a woman's womb to give birth to a cloned human being, nor was it clear that their embryo would be capable of that.
But the Washington D.C.-based National Right to Life Committee wasted little time Sunday attacking the announcement.
