Research on stem cells should be extended, a report by the Government's chief medical officer recommends this week.
Stem cells have enormous potential in treating currently incurable diseases, the report concludes. It says that extending research using embryonic cells may in the future lead to the benefits being achieved using stem cells from other sources such as adult tissue or blood from the umbilical cord.
The report, "Stem cell research: medical progress with responsibility", was produced by an expert group on therapeutic cloning chaired by the chief medical officer, Professor Liam Donaldson.
He says: "Stem cell research opens a new medical frontier. It offers enormous potential for new treatments of chronic diseases and injuries." Stem cells could be differentiated into mature cells or tissues which could be used for treatment. Uses of stem cell technology suggested by the report include the manufacture of insulin-producing cells for diabetes and bone cells for osteoporosis. Neural cells could be produced for use in treating stroke, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease and spinal cord injury. Other conditions that could benefit from stem cell treatment are immunodeficiencies, burns, hepatitis, congestive heart failure and cancer.
The Government has accepted the group's recommendations. The issue of extending the purposes for which embryos can be used in research will be debated in Parliament later this year.