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| Wednesday, 28 December 2005 10:20 | | BNN: British Nursing News Online · www.bnn-online.co.uk
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The scientist who cloned Dolly the Sheep has called for stem cell treatment to be offered to people with terminal illnesses, The Scotsman has reported.
Professor Ian Wilmut told the newspaper that the treatment could save lives or at least enhance the pace of stem cell research.
Stem cells are the body’s master cells capable of forming almost any type of tissue. It is hoped that the cells will one day produce cures for disorders such as liver disease, Parkinson’s disease, diabetes and spinal cord injury.
The head of the Institute of Human Genetics at Newcastle University, Professor John Burn, told BBC Radio Five Live: "If you've developed a treatment that might be beneficial in, say, motor neurone disease, then it's reasonable to allow people who are in the last stage of the disease to offer themselves.
"It sounds like they're being used as guinea pigs but sometimes people with a terminal illness volunteer to be used as guinea pigs if it will advance medical treatment for others," he said.
Professor Wilmut, recently appointed the first director of Edinburgh University’s Centre for Regenerative Medicine, agreed that some patients would volunteer to participate.
"I've come across people who have neuro-degenerative disease who face a steady, slow decline and premature death, a very unpleasant situation," he said.
"Imagine you've got motor neurone disease and you've got no movement below your neck. You hear reports of benefits from stem cells in news reports, on the internet. That person would be very enthusiastic."
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