Cole County, Mo., Circuit Judge Byron Kinder on Thursday upheld language in the title of a ballot proposal that would amend the state constitution to ensure that stem cell research that is legal under federal law would be protected in Missouri, as well as ensure that "no person may clone or attempt to clone a human being," the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports (Franck, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 1/19). A group of residents known as Missourians Against Human Cloning sued Secretary of State Robin Carnahan (D), saying the proposal's title, Missouri Stem Cell Research and Cures Initiative, is misleading because the measure would allow stem cell research that involves somatic cell nuclear transfer, which some consider a type of human cloning (AP/KansasCityChannel.com, 1/19). Somatic cell nuclear transfer works by inserting the genetic material from a patient's cell -- usually from a skin cell -- into an unfertilized egg from another person. The patient's genetic material incorporates into the egg and guides it into developing into an embryo that is a genetic match to the skin cell patient (Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 5/20/05). "The initiative does not ban human cloning," Maureen Condic, a University of Utah associate professor of neurobiology and anatomy who was hired by the plaintiffs, testified, adding, "The only way to ban human cloning is to prevent or ban somatic cell nuclear transfer." However, Kinder in his ruling called the language of the title "sufficient and fair" (AP/KansasCityChannel.com, 1/19). Kinder's ruling -- which was issued from the bench -- addressed only how the ballot initiative should be described to voters and did not rule on whether stem cell research is ethical, the Post-Dispatch reports. The judge also did not take a position on the various definitions of a human embryo (St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 1/19). A petition of 145,000 signatures must be gathered to qualify the initiative for a statewide vote (AP/KansasCityChannel.com, 1/19).