Animals already can be genetically engineered to produce human proteins to fight disease, including blood-clotting factors for hemophilia. PPL is developing a protein that can be produced in sheeps' milk to treat cystic fibrosis. The genetically engineered animals that are most successful at producing such proteins could be cloned by the hundreds to dramatically step up production of human disease-fighting proteins, experts say. The same technology could be applied to the best milk producers among dairy herds or the fastest race horses in Kentucky, other experts say. Besides commercial use in farm animals, experts say, the technique may soon allow pet owners to clone their favorite dog or cat.
Many scientists have few if any objections to cloning animals.
But the prospects of actually cloning humans has caught most experts by surprise, and they say society is unprepared to deal with the ethical consequences. It is not so absurd anymore. Murray, who is on the Presidential National Bioethics Advisory Commission, says society needs to begin discussing how it wants to deal with the potential for human cloning. At this point we don't hear many voices saying that cloning humans is a good idea. The United Kingdom and other European countries have banned human cloning, but experts here say there are no laws or regulations to prevent it.