Summary of a Right-to-Life Editorial

I’m providing this summary because the editorial refers to some existing research, and because I’m following what happens in the Wisconsin debate. The editorial itself does not provide any research news.

An opinion piece appearing in the Milwaukeee Journal-Sentinel on-line argues that therapeutic cloning will lead to cloning of human embryos to live through the fourth or sixth month of gestation so that more stable cells can be used to create organs and tissue as needed. She refers to a study on cows where livers from cloned fetal cows were put into adult cows; she also refers to “artificial womb” studies. The conclusion is to urge Governor Jim Doyle not to veto the recent legislation regarding SCNT.

A copy of the article she refers to by Robert Lanza can be found on the website of Advanced Cell Technology; download the PDF “Long-Term Bovine Hematapoietic Engraftment with Clone-Derived Stem Cells.” Lanza has also done work cloning endangered species, such as the guar. The “artificial womb” study by Hung-Ching Liu was reported in 2002, one source being the British newspaper The Guardian. Liu’s work is to help women who are unable to carry a baby to term.