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Scientists debate human cloning policy
Last Updated: 2001-05-03 11:44:11 EDT (Reuters Health)
By Julie Rovner
WASHINGTON (Reuters Health) - Scientists, ethicists, and philosophers faced off on Wednesday at a Senate hearing over legislation that would ban not only the cloning of humans for reproductive purposes, but also the cloning of human embryos for research into treatments for a wide variety of conditions and diseases.
Backers of the "Human Cloning Prohibition Act" told the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Science, Technology and Space that to truly preclude cloning intended to produce a live birth, it is necessary to outlaw all forms of embryo cloning.
"Because the transfer of embryos to begin a pregnancy is a simple procedure, and because any government effort to prevent transfer of an existing embryo, or to prevent birth once transfer has occurred, would raise substantial moral, legal, and practical issues, it will be nearly impossible to prevent attempts at 'reproductive cloning' once cloned human embryos are available in the laboratory," testified Rep. Dave Weldon, R-Fla., sponsor of the measure in the House. "An effective ban on human cloning must therefore stop the process at the beginning."
Supporters of the bill also told the subcommittee that cloning embryos to obtain embryonic stem cells is itself unethical. "Cloning of a human embryo for research and medical purposes always results in the destruction, which is to say the death, of a human person," testified Robert Best, president of the Culture of Life Foundation.
"Even if the goals of scientific research are commendable in terms of health needs of our citizens, they cannot be pursued by evil means, including the death of the 'least among us,' the human embryo," he said.
Scientists told the subcommittee that such a broad ban could threaten potentially life-saving research. "Therapeutic cloning techniques are central to the production of breakthrough medicines, diagnostics and vaccines to treat Alzheimer's, diabetes, Parkinson's, heart attacks, various cancers and hundreds of other genetic diseases," testified Carl Feldbaum, president of the Biotechnology Industry Organization.
"We all agree that given the current safety and social factors, human reproductive cloning is repugnant," he said. "However, it is critical that in our enthusiasm to prevent reproductive cloning, we not ban vital research, turning wholly legitimate biomedical researchers into outlaws, and thus squelching the hope for relief for millions of suffering individuals."
-Westport Newsroom 203 319 2700
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