Human Cloning Foundation Supports Moves to Repeal Iowa Law on Stem Cell Research

The Human Cloning Foundation (HCF) said it is supporting a local Iowa group, led by the state's secretary of agriculture, which has proposed repealing Iowa's law restricting stem-cell research.

"The Human Cloning Foundation believes that the Iowa law that outlaws therapeutic cloning is outdated and detrimental to the development of a potentially life-saving technology," said David Madrigal, HCF spokesman. "We support the effort to repeal this law."

"Iowa's law is anti-medicine and prevents this state from moving forward with life-saving research," said Iowa's secretary of agriculture Patty Judge in the Des Moines Register (www.desmoinesregister.com), which also reported that Judge's group wants to establish the Iowa Center for Regenerative Medicine within the university system.

Madrigal said that there is growing sentiment in the United States and around the world supporting stem cell research.

He cited a survey by the Genetics and Public Policy Center of John Hopkins University in Baltimore covering 2,212 people. It showed that 67% either approve or strongly approve of stem cell research and that 40% would expand government support for embryonic stem cell research, including federal financing to create new stem cell lines.

On the other hand, the survey found that only 16% would ban all research using embryonic stem cells and only 22% support the US government's restrictive policy on stem cell research.

The study concluded that "support for research cuts across political, religious and socio-economic lines" and that "there were no significant differences based on age, race, or ethnic group."

Contact: David Madrigal
Spokesman, Human Cloning Foundation
Humancloning.david@gmail.com
www.humancloning.org