President approves law allowing use of embryonic stem cells for research

President approves law allowing use of embryonic stem cells for research

Czech President Vaclav Klaus on Friday approved legislation that will allow the use of embryonic stem cells for research, his office said.

The law, adopted by the parliament earlier this year, will allow the use of embryonic stem cells for research, but will ban their use in cloning. Violations will be punishable by up to eight years in prison.

Embryonic stem cells form during the early days after conception and can turn into any tissue in the body. Many scientists hope they could be used in the future to treat Parkinson's disease, spinal cord injuries and other diseases.

The Czech Republic has so far had no laws governing their use.

The Roman Catholic Church in the country has repeatedly protested the legislation, reports AP.

O.Ch.