| Bookmarkers beware: Bookmarks to pages other than the home page may not work after we change our server in April |
Editor's Choice | This Week in BMJ | Press releases
BMJ No 7129 Volume 316
News Saturday 7 February 1998
Public consultation on human cloning launched
See also Medicine and books, p 485| Government advisers in Britain have launched a public consultation process to tease out the acceptable uses of new cloning techniques.
The consultation document, prepared jointly by the Human Genetic Advisory Commission and the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, draws a clear distinction between reproductive cloning (that is, creating genetically identical human beings) and "therapeutic" cloning, whereby early embryos could be created to develop new treatments or to further scientific knowledge. Under the 1990 Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act, the creation of cloned babies is forbidden in Britain and carries a criminal sentence. |  | |
| Cloning may be useful for creating skin for burn victims Photo: BSIP LECA/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY |
But the creation of human embryos up to 14 days old is permitted for research and therapeutic development. What the consultation process aims to discover is whether producing early human embryos by cloning rather than by other techniques raises new ethical issues.
Cloning by nuclear replacement reprogrammes an adult cell so that it becomes embryonic and has the potential to grow into any type of tissue. The 14 day limit could be sufficient time to identify, for example, stem cells from which a cloned organ or skin might be generated, suggest working party members. This would completely eliminate the risk of rejection. Other potential areas for therapeutic benefit include research on aging, cancer, infertility, congenital disease, and miscarriage.
However, the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority's chairwoman, Ruth Deech, emphasised that the authority would not grant licences for cloning whole human beings. "The sort of research we are talking about, which has yet to be carried out, would not involve going as far as making anyone pregnant. There are potential benefits of research involving therapeutic cloning technology where the end result will not involve creating genetically identical fetuses or babies."
The Human Genetic Advisory Commission's chairman, Sir Colin Campbell, said that the public had to be involved in deciding where to draw the ethical boundaries. "Dolly the cloned sheep captured the imagination of many throughout the world. We have been told that this breakthrough will open both wonderful and the most terrifying possibilities, and people are understandably concerned about what the implications really are. It is important to sort out the scientific facts from the science fiction."
Working party members are concerned that a blanket ban on cloning could prevent research of therapeutic benefit. Sir Colin said: "We want to stop the wild and irresponsible notion of cloning whole human beings but allow procedures that in 5 to 10 years' time may lead to the curing of diseases."
Most European countries have statutes in place prohibiting embryo cloning, and the United States's Congress is currently considering legislation that would ban research aimed at human cloning.
Cloning Issues in Reproduction, Science, and Medicinefrom fax 0171 271 2028 or at http://www.dti.gov.uk/hgac
Hilary Bower
London
Feedback
Human cloning comments
Please
submit your views on Human Cloning in the box below. You will
receive a thank you message when your comment has been transmitted.
Please include your name and email address in the body of the text if you want it to appear.
Home | Current issue | Past issues | Classified ads | Career Focus | Feedback
Collections | About this site | About the BMJ | BMA | Medline