Time to let the science begin

Last week, a House of Lords select committee gave UK scientists a long-awaited green light to begin new research on human embryo stem cells. Within days, the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority had granted its first licences, allowing two research groups to finally begin vital experiments aimed at developing new treatments for a range of incurable conditions. The speed at which the new regulations were put into practice is an indication of the very real therapeutic potential of stem cells - cells that are able to develop into a wide range of different body tissues.

Perhaps predictably, the Lords' decision still attracted criticism from some quarters. So-called 'pro-life' groups called the report a 'whitewash' and a 'put-up job', claiming that the committee only heard from supporters of the research. But surely this just reflects the overwhelming scientific evidence backing the view that some embryo experiments are necessary for stem cell research to proceed further.

Another argument used by those who oppose all embryo research is that adult stem cell research currently offers more hope than work on embryo stem cells. It is true that research on adult stem cells is yielding promising results, but compared to what? Embryo stem cell research has remained on the back burner for several years, confined mainly to work on animal embryos, while scientists rightly awaited the necessary regulatory framework. And even if adult stem cells do eventually prove to be more useful in the treatment of disease, scientists cannot fully understand how different cell types develop without finding out how embryo cells do it.

Finally, there were calls last week from the US for a moratorium on all human embryo research until an international ban on human cloning is in place. This seems an ill-advised overreaction to concerns over human cloning experiments, especially from a country that has long allowed embryo stem cell research to proceed in the private sector. It is surely better to separate these issues, by prohibiting human reproductive cloning, which has little public or scientific support, whilst allowing vital medical research to continue. This is exactly what the UK regulations now do. An added proviso from the Lords is that any embryo stem cells grown in the laboratory (cell-lines) must be made available to the scientific community through a stem cell bank, to avoid any duplication of effort. With the stage for embryo stem cell research now set, the science can at last begin.