This week, the world's first referendum on the subject was held in Switzerland, in which it was decided to ban the cloning of human embryos. However, 66% of voters supported stem cell research. The regulations approved in the referendum are conservative in relation to the union
In the first referendum held on this issue in the world, the citizens of Switzerland voted in favor of legislation limiting research in embryonic stem cells, and prohibiting the cloning of human embryos. However, 66% of voters supported authorizing the research use of stem cells from unwanted embryos. The approved regulations are similar to relatively conservative laws approved in the Netherlands and Spain, but they are more restrictive than the regulations adopted in Great Britain and Belgium - which allow cloning for the purpose of extracting stem cells.
Supporters of allowing embryo cloning claim that stem cell research enables a deeper understanding of diseases such as Parkinson's, Alzheimer's or diabetes, and will help in the development of appropriate treatments. "The law is extremely restrictive, but will allow us to continue our work," said a scientist from the Gilles Goonan Hospital in Bloisan.
Advertisement Opponents of stem cell research, including Christian doctors and members of the Green Party, demand that all research on fetal cells be banned, claiming that this involves the taking of human life - as the embryos are destroyed at the end of the process. Stem cells are the progenitor cells in the body, and can develop and become different types of cells. Stem cells derived from embryos are more flexible than cells taken from adults, and scientists hope to use them to produce replacement cells and tissues.
The legislators in the USA are still having difficulty coming up with regulated laws on the subject, but in the European Union countries various laws have already been passed regarding pumping stem cells and embryo cloning. The legislation that was decided yesterday in the referendum in Switzerland is conservative compared to the other EU countries.
