UK Allows Stem Cell Research

London is leading the pack where President George Bush won’t even race.

The British government granted its first licence for human cloning Wednesday to Newcastle University researchers. They hope to create insulin-producing cells that could be transplanted into diabetics.

Britain joins South Korea in this leading-edge science. Many scientists believe stem cell research to one day provide effective treatment for several diseases.

“Therapeutic cloning will in the immediate future be a vital tool in harnessing the power of stem cells to treat some of the major diseases which threaten humankind,” said John Harris, professor of bioethics at the University of Manchester.

South Korea has already cloned an embryo and extracted stem cells from it.