Final Report (all chapters)

nucleus of a somatic cell, such as a skin cell. To trigger the process of cell division, the
“unfertilized embryo” is exposed to a short burst of electricity. 63 If successful, somatic cell
nuclear transfer produces an individual that is an almost perfect genetic replica of the somatic
cell donor – almost perfect because the clone will share with the egg donor the genetic material
contained in her mitochondria, genes that are obviously not present in the somatic cell of the
individual that has been cloned.
Reproductive and research cloning raise distinct ethical questions. Reproductive cloning in
particular has received considerable attention. 64 Many arguments have been put forward both in
favor of and against what some have described as a reproductive procedure, and what others
have more accurately but unsuccessfully characterized as human replication. 65 These questions
have been extensively debated, and we see no reason to contribute to that debate here, other than
to point out that it is very unlikely that the general public will ever consider this procedure an
acceptable procreative option, even if it can be performed safely. 66
With regard to research cloning, the situation is more interesting. In the last few years, the
rationale offered by scientists for conducting somatic cell nuclear transfer in humans has
changed significantly. Initially, the scientific community described this procedure as an
indispensable prerequisite for creating organs compatible the recipient’s immune system. But
critics have pointed out that scientists are many years away from being able to precisely control
the development of stem cells, a situation that apparently has been the source of considerable
frustration among developmental biologists.
Public skepticism has induced the scientific community to adopt a different rationale for
research cloning – that it is an important technique that would allow scientists to develop a much
better understanding of the development of genetic diseases that cannot otherwise be studied. An
example is Parkinson’s disease, a degenerative condition of the brain that obviously cannot be
studied in adult subjects. The emphasis thus has shifted from applied to fundamental medical
research.
Other scientists are not ready to abandon the initial vision of growing replacement organs
just yet. It has been shown that if human embryonic germ cells are derived from five-, six-,
seven-, and 11-week-old primordial germ cells (i.e., germ cells of a fetus several weeks old),
they can be injected or grafted onto a diseased organ, where they continue their development. 67
Other experiments have demonstrated that cloning makes it possible to produce specialized
63
64
65
66
67
Strictly speaking, the term “unfertilized embryo” is meaningless. Unfortunately, a proper technical term for this
biological construction does not exist.
See, for example, Glenn McGee, ed., The Human Cloning Debate (Berkeley, CA: Berkeley Hills Books, 2002);
President’s Council on Bioethics, "Human Cloning and Human Dignity: An Ethical Inquiry," (Washington,
D.C.: 2002).
George J. Annas, "Human Cloning: A Choice or an Echo?," Dayton Law Review 23 (1998).
In this regard, see also the survey data in chapter 8.
Michael J. Shamblott et al., "Human Embryonic Germ Cell Derivates Express a Broad Range of
Developmentally Distinct Markers and Proliferate Extensively in Vitro," Proceedings of the National Academy
of Sciences 98, no. 1 (2001).
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