BioWorld International

MELBOURNE, Australia - The Australian State of Victoria is threatening to go it alone and legalize therapeutic human cloning in the face of a central government ruling against liberalizing existing law.

"The constitutional law is complex, and we are currently getting advice to see if [we have jurisdiction and] can move on this," John Brumby, treasurer and innovation minister for Victoria, told BioWorld International.

He added, "Obviously it would be better to have a single national framework." But it is unlikely at present, as the federal government led by Prime Minister John Howard decided in June against changing current law, which allows embryonic stem cell research using embryos left over from in vitro fertilization treatment.

The decision was contrary to an independent legal review by Judge John Lockhart that recommended therapeutic human cloning be allowed.

Cloning is one of the most divisive issues facing Howard's government, with elected politicians calling for an independent debate and conscience vote. "There is no doubt in my mind that somatic cell nuclear transfer would get approval [in a conscience vote]," Brumby said.

Lockhart's findings, published in December, were based on public consultations and hearings with representatives from community groups, state governments and scientists. At the same time, a study by the industry body Biotech Australia found considerable support for embryonic stem cell research, with about 82 percent of respondents believing it could improve their way of life.

Brumby has compared the position on therapeutic human cloning to Victoria taking the lead in the debate about approving in vitro fertilization. "Today we are faced with a similar choice [as that] faced by Australian society in the 1970s with the emergence of IVF technology.

"In 2006, IVF is an accepted part of our lives, and through this previous example we have demonstrated it's possible to have an acceptable legislative framework to support the adoption of emerging scientific technologies," he said.

Apart from the potential medical benefits, the issue has implications for Victoria's ambitions to be a major player in biotechnology. One of the core elements of the state's biotech infrastructure is the Australian Stem Cell Centre (ASCC), which is located in the state capital of Melbourne.

Alan Trounson, one of the founding fathers and former CEO of the ASCC, told BioWorld International he would like the federal government to endorse all the Lockhart recommendations. "Therapeutic cloning would be very important for studying disease-specific stem cells," he said.

Getting the go-ahead also would be central to ASCC's ambitions to move beyond its current role as a national center to instead being a focus for stem cell research in the whole of the Pacific Rim. "Japan is just getting going [on embryonic stem cell research] and has a big capacity. South Korea has a good capacity, India is starting to develop and Singapore has clearly stated ambitions. If the region starts to work together in a connected way, it is going to be far stronger than Europe or the U.S. [in stem cell research]," Trounson said.