By Janelle Carter, Associated Press, 12/4/01

Dr. Michael West, the head of Advanced Cell Technology, is driven by a mythical goal: to help humans live forever. (Globe Staff Photo / Tom Landers) Profile: Dr. Michael West  GRAPHICS How cloning treats disease  AT A GLANCE History of cloning Potential uses of cloning Q & A on cloning Cloning timeline Bush decision on stem cells Public opinion on stem cells Ways of cultivating stem cells Definitions of stem cell terms Stem cell FAQ  FROM THE ARCHIVES Coverage of Advanced Cell Technology and human embryo research from The Boston Globe: NOVEMBER 23, 2001 Cows cloned by Worcester firm reported to be growing normally AUGUST 11, 2001 Stem cell grants could begin in Jan. AUGUST 10, 2001 Bush issues a limited OK on stem-cell funds JULY 26, 2001 Patent hints how firm may farm human tissue JULY 13, 2001 Worcester firm aims to clone human cells MARCH 18, 2001 Focus: How can cloning research ever be banned?  ON THE WEB Companies doing embryonic stem cell research: Advanced Cell Technology Worcester www.advancedcell.com Geron Inc. Menlo Park, Calif. www.geron.com Jones Institute for Reproductive Medicine Norfolk, Va. www.jonesinstitute.org Government sites: Dept. of Health & Human Services www.hhs.gov National Institutes of Health www.nih.gov

WASHINGTON -- The president of the Massachusetts company that claims to have cloned the first human embryo defended his firm's actions Tuesday and urged senators not to hastily pass a bill restricting the practice.

"We're not talking about the cloning of humans," Michael West, president of Advanced Cell Technology, told a Senate appropriations subcommittee. "We're talking about the cloning of cells."

"I would argue rather than slow medical research, we take the time to carefully learn these issues," West said.

The Worcester, Mass., company sparked a worldwide debate last month when officials announced they had succeeded in cloning a human embryo for the first time, growing it to six cells before it quit developing.

The company's ultimate goal is to cull, from a cloned embryo, stem cells that could then be grown into custom medical treatments for patients. The company's first embryo was too small to generate stem cells.

In Britain, an emergency bill that prohibits the planting of a cloned embryo in a womb became law Tuesday after receiving royal assent. The measure was rushed through both chambers of Parliament after a High Court judge ruled last month that the government had no control over the use and research of embryos created by cloning.

The wording of the British law means scientists would still be allowed to use cloning to create embryos for stem cell research.

In Sweden Tuesday, the Swedish Research Council said that therapeutic cloning is ethically defensible and called on the government to change legislation to allow the procedure. "The long-term benefits regarding medical treatment based on this technique could be great," the council said.

In the U.S. Congress, some Republicans made an unsuccessful bid Monday to have the Senate take up a bill that would place a six-month moratorium on cloning until lawmakers could have extensive debate in the spring. The House has already passed a cloning ban.

Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan., a leading abortion opponent, told lawmakers they should take "time out, let's just think a little bit" before allowing scientists to proceed.

But the issue has clearly divided lawmakers, many of whom said they would support the research as long as scientists did not clone a human.

"What business do we have as long -- as we don't allow reproductive cloning -- to tell the scientists what to do?" said Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa.

Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, said he planned to introduce a bill that would ban reproductive cloning only. "I believe it would be tragic to allow our outrage about human cloning to blind us to the promise that (the research) holds."