Patents Filed on Human Cloning

A reader wrote: I found this article at bioresearch online. (free regixtration required) "Two companies, one American and one Australian, have applied to the European Patent Office for a patent on a cloning process that fuses human and pig cells, according to a report filed by Reuters. Their aim is to advance therapeutic cloning, a process whereby cells would be removed from a patient and grown in culture to create a source of stem cells. Such cells could then develop into tissues or organs for transplantation. In addition to providing organs for the thousands of patients waiting for a donor organ, this approach would also obviate the need for immunosuppressents, which transplant patients take to prevent rejection of the transplanted organ.""

Comments

Clone some good moderators

[Anonymous Coward]

But from what?

like hydrogen bombs can't be used for evil either?

[RainMan496]

I still don't like how the government doesn't like cloning becuase the "moral majority" (which is neither moral, nor the majority) says it is unethical. We researched the atom bomb, a device capable of killing millions of people in a fraction of a second. Cloning could just as easily wipe us out as that can, but people are smarter than that. It's sick some people can't even trust themselves to have the power to stop so many things wrong with the world (hunger, lack of organs for transplant) because they are afraid they will abuse it.

Cloning Human Cells != Human Cloning

[none2222]

The article is about a process in which human cells are cloned to create a source of stem cells, which in turn may be used to research the cloning of human tissues and organs. The patent has little to do with "human cloning" as most people think of it.

Interesting consequences

[tesserae]

From the article:

The U.S. government is forbidden by law to fund scientists who engage in cloning, therapeutic or otherwise, but privately funded scientists are legally able to do so.

So the majority of those who need organ transplants -- which are generally supplemented at least in part by government funds (Medicare) -- couldn't benefit from this new technology. OTOH, the individuals who could afford the process themselves would be free to use it.

I seem to recall something about "We, the People..."

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