Sydney on the way to producing stem cells

The director of the private Sydney IVF clinic said the clinic was already well on the way to producing stem cells and within three months it should have its first ones.

Prof Robert Jansen said Sydney IVF already had ethics approval for producing embryonic stem cells and was working with Prof Bernie Tuch's diabetes transplantation unit at Prince of Wales Hospital.

And Prof Alan Trounson, head of Melbourne-based Monash IVF, has revealed that part of his team was likely to move to NSW after discussions with Sydney IVF over harvesting new supplies of embryonic stem cell from surplus IVF embryos.

"Our collaborations with Prof Trounson will accelerate the productions of stem cells for the diabetes transplantation unit," Jansen said.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister John Howard has still not stated his position on whether to allow the use of embryos for stem cell research.

Next week's Council of Australian Governments meeting (COAG) will discuss the implementation of nationally uniform laws on stem cell research and cloning.

It is rumoured that cabinet has split on the issue after a meeting last week.

But a spokesman from the Prime Minister's office said Howard was still consulting scientists and church leaders, and would announce his position at COAG.

The NSW government would defy a national ban and write its own legislation to allow the research to continue, a spokesperson from NSW Premier Bob Carr's office told Australian Biotechnology News.

The NSW government has said it would welcome Trounson's team.

Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia already have laws in place that ban the destruction of IVF embryos, preventing embryonic stem cell research.

Scientists have argued that existing stem cell lines are inadequate for research and that Australia risked losing leading scientists offshore if it banned the use of embryos for stem cell research.