TEN YEARS OF CLONING
A review of the state of cloning science in the journal Science by an American expert concludes that “our understanding is stalled at a fundamental level”. Jose Cibelli, of Michigan State University, supports therapeutic cloning, but points out that the basic science is still not well understood. Scientists, he says, have focused too much on “goal-directed” experiments and not on understanding how cloning actually works. They still do not know, for instance, which genes are responsible for reprogramming a cell when it is cloned.
“Unveiling the genes and pathways involved in the cloning procedure is the first step to creating reasonable approaches for generating human cells that can later be used in therapy,” he writes. “Only then will so-called (and still hypothetical) therapeutic cloning become obsolete.”
- How long can you put off seeing the doctor because of lockdowns? - December 3, 2021
- House of Lords debates assisted suicide—again - October 28, 2021
- Spanish government tries to restrict conscientious objection - October 28, 2021
More Stories
Judicial ping-pong leaves Portugal without a right-to-die law
For the second time Portugal’s Constitutional Court has rejected a right-to-die law because its wording is “intolerably vague”. The bill...
Baby steps for ‘death tourism’ in Oregon
A “death tourism” industry is taking off in Oregon, claims the Daily Mail. It says that Dr Nicholas Gideonse, the...
A divorce for the end-of-life dream team
Compassion & Choices and the Alzheimer’s Association have parted ways after a partnership which lasted only a few weeks. On...
‘Your ChatGPT advance directive is ready for signing …’
I couldn’t help thinking of the trash talk at the weigh-in before a professional heavyweight fight when I read the...
Is America’s healthcare system a kleptocapitalist nightmare?
American health care is perishing under the weight of its greed, according to an editorial in JAMA by Donald M....
He did it. Not clear if he’s sorry
The doctor at the heart of a genetic engineering scandal in China has been released from jail and spoke with...