asked Her Majesty's Government:

Further to the Written Answers by Lord Triesman on 12 November (WA 1–2), which empirical studies in either humans or other species have conclusively demonstrated the benefits of human somatic cell nuclear transfer with regard to therapies that overcome the problems of immune rejection with patient-specific embryonic stem cells as described in his earlier Answer. [HL262]

Research on the benefits of human somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) is ongoing and if proved successful in the laboratory could eventually be used for the treatment of humans. In such a circumstance, nuclei would be taken from the cells of the person to be treated to generate the stem cells that would then be developed into the type of cell to be used for treatment. In this case, because the material to be used would have been derived from the person being treated, it is unlikely that the recipient would reject the implanted tissue. There is a huge body of evidence to show that when foreign tissue is injected into a person, the person raises antibodies against it and will reject the implanted tissue.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Further to the Written Answers by Lord Triesman on 12 November (WA 1–2), what assessment they have made of news reports on 12 November regarding successful cloning of non-human primates, with regard to the necessity of financial incentives to recruit more and more human egg donors for reported work that has otherwise not been replicated but which might instead be performed entirely with monkeys. [HL263]

So far the work involving non-human primates has been undertaken in only two laboratories. Its success may provide the technological advances to make this somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) more feasible in humans. No animal-based cell lines could be used in therapy owing to issues around transfer of animal viruses and immune rejection.