Long-term prognosis

My understanding is that the use of donated embryos for the creation of stem cells is something which is likely to lead to substantial benefits to human health within the next four to five years. So far as nuclear transplantation is concerned for the generation of stem cells, this is a much more difficult procedure and I do not believe that this technique, when applied to the human, is likely to yield significant results for at least 10 years. However, nuclear transplantation to prevent mitochondrial disease is perfectly feasible; such work has already been carried out in animals and I am informed that such work could be carried out in human subjects, once licences arer-awarded, within two to three years.

Much attention has been paid in the scientific and medical press of late to the possibility that adult stem cells, derived from bone marrow, adipose tissue and other organs, or stem cells derived from umbilical cord blood may prove useful in treatment, rendering the use of embryonic stem cells unnecessary. However, one claim that adult blood cells could be transformed into muscle has now been withdrawn. All of the experts whom I have consulted suggest that adult stem cells derived from any source are difficult to manipulate in order to produce specific tissue cells and hence are much less flexible and potentially of less value than those derived from embryos. Nevertheless, I am satisfied that work on adult stem cells should certainly continue and may eventually prove to be of much greater potential than at present.

I am satisfied that the control exercised by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority in the UK has been wholly admirable and effective and that there is no likelihood of human reproductive cloning being carried out in the UK in the foreseeable future. I think it would be appropriate for licences under the regulations to be approved, and subject always to the recommendations of the Select Committee of the House of Lords when published later this year, to be awarded by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority. I believe, however, that there is also a case to be made out for estab-lishing an additional regulatory authority, along the lines of the Gene Therapy Advisory Committee, in order to regulate the use of stem cells in treatment, as the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority in its present form is essentially concerned with research and not with treatment.

Master, I trust that these comments may have been of some interest and value in stimulating what I am sure will prove to be a very lively discussion on this difficult and sensitive topic.