****** PRESS RELEASE ******
World authorities debate the science and ethics of human stem cells and therapeutic cloning
Saturday April 7, 4:00 - 5:20 p.m.
Royal Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street, Edinburgh
Last month, an Italian doctor provoked a storm of worldwide protest at his proposal to clone human beings. was. At Saturday's Edinburgh Science Festival debate Dolly's "creator" Professor Ian Wilmut of the Roslin Institute tells why he is at the forefront of this criticism ... why his cloning discovery must not be abused ... but why he is working to see it used to make stem cells to treat diseases like Alzheimer's, diabetes and heart failure.
Dr Austin Smith of Edinburgh University's Centre for Genome Research leads the largest UK research work in embryonic stem cells, explains how these cells are the starting points for treatments which could revolutionise the treatment of a number of incurable diseases. But some say these treatments could be achieved just as well without using embryos. Who is right? Where have we got to with this exciting new area of science?
It is also ethically highly controversial. Some say this is treating embryos as mere sources of "spare parts". Others warn that it would be a slippery slope to human cloning. Picking his way amidst the claims and counter claims is Professor Alastair Campbell, chair of Medical Ethics at Bristol University, of the Donaldson Committee whose report on stem cells and cloning led to recent legalisation of embryo stem cells in the UK.
But is the science running ahead of public debate? Last week a special House of Lords Select Committee was set up to consider the complaint of UK religious leaders and others that the Government had rushed into legislation without sufficient debate. Both the European Parliament and the EC advisory group on ethics also say the UK has gone too far too fast.
Chairing the Science Festival debate, Dr Donald Bruce of the Church of Scotland Society, Religion and Technology Project asks if a Government committed to opening up public debate in science has actually held back from promoting public discussion on this issue. Are basic human values and democratic discussion losing out to the pressures not to lose out in the lucrative commercial race ... or would debate hold back treatments?
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Contact : Dr Donald Bruce, SRT Project tel. 0131-240 2250, Fax 0131-240 2239,
srtp@srtp.org.uk http://www.srtp/org.uk
or Church of Scotland Press Office tel. 0131- 240 2243
or Edinburgh International Science Festival at the Hub, Edinburgh
Dr Bruce is Director of the Church of Scotland Society Religion and Technology Project, assessing ethical issues in technology for Scotland's national church, which is at the forefront of the ethical debate over cloning and stem cell technology
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