Mississippi

IN EARLY FEBRUARY 2006, the Mississippi House of Representatives passed a bill that forbids stem cell research using embryonic stem cells or even somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT), a form of therapeutic cloning. SCNT involves injecting an adult stem cell into an unfertilized egg, effectively cloning the adult cells. Opponents to this process argue that it could rapidly lead to human cloning. Supporters of SCNT argue that scientists are not trying to clone humans but, rather, to clone customized organs or tissues that could be used to restore the health of the original donor of the adult stem cell. These customized tissues would not present the risks of traditional organ transplants because the recipient's immune system would recognize the new organ as its own and ...