Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answers by Lord Darzi of Denham on 23 March (WA 92) and by Lord Drayson on 19 May (WA 290), what is their assessment of the comments attributed to Professor Sir Ian Wilmut regarding the relative merits of induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells compared to attempts at getting human embryonicstem cells by cloning, as described in an interview by the French website Gènéthique on 18 May; and which non-reproductive applications would benefit from nuclear transfer that could not be addressed by the use of iPS cells.
Answer
The Government believe that it would be premature to conclude that the advent of induced Pluripotent Stem (iPS) cells has superseded the need for research into deriving embryonic stem cells via cell nuclear replacement. Whilst iPS cells undoubtedly represent an exciting scientific advance, there are still numerous technical issues around both the derivation and biological properties of iPS cells that must be resolved before proceeding to clinical application. Therefore, it is impossible to predict what the relative contributions of nuclear transfer and iPS cell technology might be to medical need, and so, the Government continue to support all forms of stem cell research.