By Kevin Lavery, KWMU
St. Louis – Genetic researchers in St. Louis say the first successful cloning of a human embryo is encouraging news that will lead to the cure of a multitude of diseases.
Scientists in South Korea announced this week that they've extracted stem cells from a cloned blastocyst, an early stage embryo made up of about 200 cells.
Dr. Steven Teitlebaum, with the Washington University School of Medicine, says the event proves that therapeutic cloning is possible.
"But let me underscore the fact that no responsible scientist wants to make human babies," Teitlebaum said. "And it's the position of the scientific community, I believe in general, that these attempts should be illegal."
Tietlebaum says Parkinson's is likely to be among the first diseases that may one day be eradicated through the medical use of embryonic stem cells.