An experimental cancer treatment has proved successful for one man. The patient had advanced skin cancer which had spread to his lungs and a lymph node. Previously, the cancer hadn't responded to other treatments. So what was this experimental treatment? Well, essentially the patient healed himself.

In the study, patients' t-cells (white blood cells which promote immunity) were harvested and multiplied before being re-administered to the patient. After treatment, the patient went in to complete remission and remained in remission for two years.

Other patients in the study, who received smaller or greater amounts of cloned t-cells, either had no response to the treatment or only a limited response. Doctors aren't yet sure what variable caused this particular patient to respond so favorably. While further research is needed, this limited success gives doctors hope that they are heading in the right direction.

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Cloning may cause a ruckus when it comes to stem cell research and the like, but what if the same cloning method that produced "Dolly" the sheep produced the meat on your dinner table? It may not be as taboo as you think. Cloning from an agricultural standpoint usually refers to the offspring of cloned animals, but some people want that association clearly identified.

How would you know if your burger contained cloned meat? By making the genetic information of those animals publicly available. This would allow retailers to trace the meat to back to a cloned source. However, skeptics don't believe there is any relevancy to health and being able to track these animal products.

Consumers, however, are increasingly interested in finding "clone free" meat. With organic and natural foods on the rise, it makes sense. People who choose to stay carnivorous may want to know they're getting a clearly defined product. The FDA says they're not requiring this type of meat be labeled. While there is no system in place for tracking, I wouldn't be surprised if we see this in the future.

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The debate continues...

Now a consumer group is saying that Federal agencies used flawed data when making the decision to approve cloned animal products as "safe" for human consumption. Specifically claiming that data was "scant" and failed to take into consideration possible side-effects of cloning. The FDA itself declined to comment, but some on that side of the debate are speaking up and saying the claims are simply untrue.

I have no idea if cloned milk, meat, and other animal products are safe to eat or not -- but I do know they aren't coming into the world in a natural way, and that alone is enough for me to avoid them.

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