News, 4 May 2001
Researchers report that bone marrow cells can be used to grow tissue
for lungs, intestines, skin and maybe other body parts. Scientists
from Yale and New York universities implanted a marrow stem cell in
mouse and found that new cells developed throughout the animal's body.
Bone marrow was previously thought only to produce blood. [
CNN, 4
May]
Inquests are taking place on the cause of deaths of two women and two
girls in a Newcastle upon Tyne, England, hospital in the mid 1990s.
All patients were in the care of sister Kathleen Atkinson who denies
wrongdoing. It is alleged that excessive doses of morphine were given
and that medication was withdrawn. The inquests continue. [
BBC]
An official of the American bishops' conference has told the US
congress that the sanctity of human life is a cornerstone of the
church's teaching. Testifying in support of a proposed law to ban
human cloning, Mr Richard Doerflinger said that a society could be
judged by the respect it showed to life at its most vulnerable. He
pointed out that more that 95% or cloned animals died prematurely.
[
EWTN]
Canada may soon establish a legal framework for human reproductive
technology. The health minister is expected to publish a draft bill
which would ban sex-selection and crossing humans with animals. It is
unclear whether the law would ban cloning to produce spare tissue or
organs. A federal health authority paper has advocated such
procedures. [
EWTN]
Australian Catholic bishops are seeking a high court ban on
in vitro
fertilisation for homosexual and single women. The Women's Electoral
Lobby will oppose the bishops' attempt to overturn a federal court
decision. [
EWTN]
LifeSite representatives at a UN meeting
report that Canadian,
European and Latin American delegations are "pushing for anti-life and
anti-family additions to the [final] document." The committee is
preparing for a special general assembly session on children in late
September.
To subscribe to SPUC's email information services, please visit www.spuc.org.uk/em-signup. The reliability of the news herein is dependent on that of the cited sources, which are paraphrased rather than quoted. Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the society. © Society for the Protection of Unborn Children, 2012