THE political battle to determine the future of stem cell research in Australia hotted up this week. Earlier this month, the Australian House of Representatives passed a bill banning human cloning, including therapeutic cloning 鈥� creating an embryo to provide matching stem cells to treat a patient. But now they are set to vote on a bill that would allow stem cells to be harvested from spare embryos left over from IVF.
Australia is home to some of the world鈥檚 top stem cell researchers, and advocates argue that if the bill fails to become law this will seriously impede the development of stem cell therapy. As 快猫短视频 went to press, pollsters expected the House to vote in favour of the bill, though it would still face months of debate in the Upper House before becoming law.
In Britain, researchers can already harvest stem cells from surplus embryos created for IVF. But other laws governing stem cell research remain murky worldwide as the issues continue to be debated. In Britain, therapeutic cloning is theoretically allowed, though no one has yet been granted a permit to do so. In the US, federally funded researchers cannot pursue therapeutic cloning or harvest stem cells, but private companies can.
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Australian stem cell researchers ran a blitzkrieg campaign in favour of the bill, using world-renowned scientists and patient advocates to push the idea that embryonic stem cell research would lead to cures for diseases like Parkinson鈥檚.
Opponents said these potential benefits have been exaggerated, however. A group of nine prominent scientists wrote to parliament saying it is 鈥渟cientifically premature鈥� to study human embryonic stem cells until the technology has been shown to work in animals.
The heated debate resulted in Australia鈥檚 most visible stem cell researcher being accused of misleading parliament. Alan Trounson, who was recently appointed head of a planned National Stem Cell Centre in Melbourne showed a video of a crippled rat regaining the use of its hind legs following what he called an embryonic stem cell treatment. But it turned out the rats had been injected with fetal cells instead.
That blunder may mean A$46 million (拢16 million) recently set aside for stem cell research by the federal government now hangs in the balance. That grant was earmarked to set up the new National Stem Cell Centre. But after the rat video debacle, the Prime Minister indicated that he is reconsidering the funding.