Researchers in the Republic of Korea (ROK) said Wednesday they have successfully cloned a human embryo to obtain stem cells they hope could one day be used to treat disease.

The experiment, the first reported cloning of human stem cells, means the so-called therapeutic cloning is no longer a theory but a reality. The details of the research were discussed Thursday morning at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).

"Our approach opens the door for the use of these specially developed cells in transplantation medicine," Woo Suk Hwang of Seoul National University, who led the study, said in a statement.

Woo Suk Hwang and his colleagues took the genetic material from normal cells in women donors and combined it with their eggs. The resulting embryos were then grown up to produce so-called stem cells that can divide into any tissue in the body. The aim is to use the cells to replace ones that have failed in patients suffering from diseases such as Alzheimer's.

The researchers said the technology could eventually lead to grow-your-own organ transplants.

"Because these cells carry the nuclear genome of the individual, after differentiation they could be expected to be transplanted without immune rejection for treatment of degenerative disorders,” said Woo.

Woo, whose expertise has been developed in animal cloning, said any attempt to produce a baby would be "crazy."

"We will never try to produce cloned human beings," he said.

Since British researchers in 1997 produced Dolly, the first cloned sheep in the world, the attempt of human cloning has been widely condemned due to ethical and biological concerns. However, the research of cloning for medical use has won worldwide recognition.

(Xinhua News Agency February 13, 2004)