U.K.: You're Holding Back Life-Saving Research, Biomedical Scientists Tell Ministers

LONDON (The Times), January 21, 2008: Life-saving medical research will be held back by draconian new consent laws planned for embryonic stem-cell experiments, a group of leading scientists tell the Government in a letter to The Times today. The Government’s Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill will delay vital research by requiring all tissue used to create cloned embryonic stem cells to have the explicit consent of its donor, the experts say. The 29 biomedical researchers and administrators, including three Nobel prizewinners, warn ministers that the measure will deny stem-cell scientists the use of valuable tissue banks for studying diseases such as muscular dystrophy, Parkinson’s and diabetes. See The Times report By Mark Henderson, Science Editor © Copyright 2008 Times Newspapers Ltd.