Dolly team wants to test human embryos

The scientists who cloned Dolly the sheep are seeking permission to experiment on human embryos.

The Roslin Institute, near Edinburgh, said it would apply to the Government's fertility authority for a licence.

Researchers want to investigate ways of harvesting human stem cells found in the embryo, which they believe may treat diseases such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's.

Professor Ian Wilmut, head of gene development, said: "We will be applying to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority for a licence within the next couple of months. It is a significant shift for us and a natural way to go."

Professor Wilmut said the authority may take up to three months to give permission. Dolly was the first mammal to be cloned from an adult cell and came into the world in 1996.

In January, Professor Wilmut confirmed Dolly had arthritis which may have arisen because of genetic defects from cloning.

This was countered when a commercial offshoot of the institute produced pig clones engineered to help prevent their tissues being rejected by the human body.