The European Parliament backed the public funding of research that uses embryonic cells, derived from human embryos. The proposal will also enable medical research on cloned human cells using the same technique that was used by the creators of Dolly, the first cloned sheep
Andy Coughlan, New Scientist (translation: Dikla Oren)
The European Parliament backed the public funding of research that uses embryonic cells, derived from human embryos. The proposal will also enable medical research on cloned human cells using the same technique used by the creators of Dolly, the first cloned sheep. The issue sparked controversy wherever it was discussed in the world. Supporters of the research claim that it holds new and promising medical treatments for diseases such as Parkinson's and diabetes. Those who oppose it say that the destruction of human embryos is not morally acceptable.
The vote on Wednesday was "charged and emotional", according to an official statement from the parliament. Members of Parliament decided by a majority of 300 to 210 to approve public funding for research that uses embryonic cells. The results were to the satisfaction of the scientists and people of the biotechnology industry, who say that the move will allow European researchers to compete with the United States for the title of leader in the field of embryonic cell research. In the US, publicly funded research has access to 12 existing sources of embryonic cells, but they are not allowed to create new sources.
The research in Europe could only take place in countries that gave it legal validity - Great Britain and Sweden have already done so - and depending on the goals of the research. Researchers were also forced to justify any research on embryonic cells and state that there is no other way of research that would achieve the same results. "We are absolutely satisfied," said Hugo Schpens, secretary general of "EuropaBio", which represents Europe's biotechnology companies.
He said that the decision supports the principle that conservative countries in the European Union should not hold back countries that wish to move forward. "Some European countries are very determined to lead in the field, and we must give them the most support," he said. Public agencies in the US, which fund research on fetal cells, do not see the vote as an unusual step. "I think we'll have to see how things play out," said James Batty, chairman of the US National Institutes of Health's embryonic stem cell task force. Bowe said that currently, publicly funded research in the US has enough room to maneuver to conduct research in embryonic cells.
However, Bati dismissed the claim that Europe might leap forward. Instead, he emphasized the need for transatlantic cooperation. "As international support for embryonic stem cell research increases, our understanding of the capabilities of these cells will advance faster," he said. But there is still the possibility that the proposal of the European Parliament will be defeated. Countries that oppose any research on human-derived cells can fight for their opinion, the European Union's research ministers will meet to give final and absolute approval to the proposal. The opponents, among them Ireland, Germany, Austria and Portugal, may gather enough support from countries, which have not yet finished speaking on the matter, to block a vote by the ministers on the matter. In that case the vote will be cancelled.
