Fear of the clone word

Consequently, we can begin to understand the cause of some of the most baffling and complex diseases that include diabetes, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, MND, numerous cancers, muscular wastage disease, etc.

Many of these conditions are not obvious until patients have the fully recognisable disease.

Study of these disease-specific embryonic stem cells may reveal the early and more subtle expression of the disease; consequently, earlier tests for diagnosis may be developed and new therapeutic options devised.

Scientists in many research institutions also want to study these disease-specific stem cells to try to develop new cell and drug therapies to prevent or retard diseases.

Screening the disease-specific embryonic stem cells with "libraries" of small molecules known to be involved in cell function may identify compounds that prevent the disease occurring in the laboratory.

These may then become new candidate drugs for evaluation in patient clinical trials by the pharmaceutical industry.

Scientists are learning how to direct embryonic stem cells into a wide range of tissue types, including nerves, blood, heart muscle, pancreatic islet cells and lung tissue.

These cells could be used to repair damaged or degenerating organs.

The embryonic stem cells may need to be compatible for transplantation in these new stem cell therapies that are being devised and under pre-clinical trials.

The use of the patient's own cells to derive embryonic stem cells for regenerative medicine would make them completely transplant-compatible, recognised by the body as self and not rejected.

The formation of embryos in the laboratory for treatment of infertility by mixing sperm and eggs is widely accepted by the majority of the community.

They are also in favour of embryo-freezing and the use of embryos for "IVF research", including new embryonic stem cells.