Do Not Ban Therapeutic Cloning
Authors: Inder M. Verma
Journal: Molecular Therapy (2002)

Ever since the cloning of the sheep Dolly in Scotland, debate has raged between clergy, politicians, doctors, and scientists whether to ban all forms of human cloning for ethical and scientific reasons. Cloning is a technology in which the nucleus of a donor cell (obtained from skin, mammary tissue, or muscle) is excised and transferred to an egg whose own nucleus has been removed. Consequently, the resulting embryo inherits all the genetic traits of the donor cell. This procedure is also referred to as nuclear transplantation, which unlike cloning does not conjure up images of row after row of grotesque-looking identical creatures with human features. In the current debate, the most important message is that cloning really refers to two procedures: (1) Reproductive cloning to make identical babies. No one in this country—not scientist, ethicist, or politician—is advocating any form of reproductive cloning. There is no scientific or ethical justification for allowing this form of human cloning. The scientific community will agree and support the call to ban human reproductive cloning by legislation. (2) Therapeutic cloning for regenerative medicine. The purpose of therapeutic cloning is to create embryonic stem cells that are genetically matched to a patient for the purpose of repairing damaged tissue or organs. Critics of therapeutic cloning say that the administration (following President Bush's speech on stem cells on August 9, 2001) has allowed the use of nearly 60 established embryonic stem cell lines (ES cells), which should be used to generate tissues or organs for transplantation into patients. The problem is that the transplanted tissues in most patients will be rejected because the ES cell lines were generated from a non-immunologically matched person. We must understand the basic difference between reproductive and therapeutic cloning. By banning all forms of cloning we risk losing one of the most promising hopes of treating devastating diseases like diabetes and Parkinson's. It is unfortunate that cloning has become an ideological dispute. President Bush told a gathering of nearly 200 lawmakers, religious leaders, bioethicists, and patients that, “We must stop human cloning by stopping it before it starts.” The House of Representatives, with insufficient debate, passed a bill providing criminal penalties for anyone undertaking any type of cloning. Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan., and Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., have sponsored the Human Cloning Prohibition Act (S 1899), which will criminalize all forms of human cloning, including creation of stem cells for medical therapies. If the Senate passes the Brownback–Landrieu bill, which not only bans all forms of cloning, but also prevents the importation of medical treatments developed in other parts of the world using nuclear transplantation technology required for cloning, it will have a chilling effect on American science. Many promising young and established scientists may find a more suitable and friendly environment abroad to undertake research in one of the most exciting developments in modern molecular medicine. Science relies on facts, whereas society is influenced by color, caste, and creed. Society often views scientists’ motives with suspicion because change can be difficult to accept. It is therefore important for scientists to make their case to the public with the hope that understanding the issues will lead to an informed opinion. I encourage all of you to urge your representatives in the House and Senate to resist ideology and politics, and instead to think of the millions of patients who can benefit from new therapies.