Human reproductive cloning

By Aiste LazauskaiteFaculdade de Direito da UNL, 2013

Content

• Definition• History• Controversy: pros and cons• Ethical perspective• Religious perspective• Law perspective• Human reproductive cloning in Popular Culture• Conclusions

Definition

Human cloning

Therapeutic cloning Reproductive cloning

(Theoretical possibility – replacement cloning)

• Human reproductive cloning is an assistedreproductive technology carried out with thegoal of creating a complete human being.

• Artificial process, does not refer to monozygotic multiple births

FIGURE 1: Human Reproductive Cloning

History. Animals

• Cloning of animals as a start point

• Early 1950’s - tadpoles were the first animals cloned in a lab

• 1996 - First successful mammal cloned, sheep Dolly

History. Humans

• Human cloning prospects – since 1960’s

• The first human cloned embryos – 2001 by Advanced Cell Technology produced 6-cell embryos

• In 2002 - first alleged human clone Eve

Controversy

• Line between ethical boundaries and scientific progress

• Moral dilemma vs. potential benefits of human cloning.

• General tendency in public- almost universally opposed. Overwhelming majorities reject it in opinion surveys.

Arguments FOR Reproductive Cloning:

• Help for infertile couples to have genetically related child

• Allow homosexuals to have children without using donor’s sperm or egg

• Allow parents of a child who has died to seek redress for their loss

• Benefit for endangered species

Arguments Against Reproductive Cloning:

• Reproductive cloning involves threat to safety of both mother and child

• Diminish the sense of uniqueness of an individuality

• Division among people• People might be cloned unwillingly • Threat that other dangerous applications of

genetic engineering technology will become allowed

Further implications on socio-ethical nature

• Transformations on family structure and relation

• New type of human being

• Infringement to self – determination

Religious perspective

• Opposition from religious heads – puts forth man as creator

• Condemned by Roman Catholic church under papacy of of Benedict XVI

• Sunni muslims consider cloning as frobiden by Islam

Law perspective

• 30 countries (inc. France, Germany, Russia) completely banned human cloning.

• 15 countries (inc. Japan, the United Kingdom, Israel) have banned human reproductive cloning, but permit therapeutic cloning.

United States• No federal laws which ban cloning completely• March 2010 - a bill (HR 4808) was introduced

with a section banning federal funding for human cloning

• 13 American states ban reproductive cloning and 3 states prohibit use of public funds for such activities.

United Kingdom• Clear prohibition on reproductive human

cloning (Human Reproductive Cloning Act 2001) but works to keep laws current with and relevant to technological advances.

United Nations• March 2005 - non-binding United Nations

Declaration on Human Cloning calling for the ban of all forms of Human Cloning was adopted

European Union• Supports funding embryonic stem cell

research (where permitted) but has banned the funding of human cloning

• The Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union explicitly prohibits reproductive human cloning

• No legal ban on therapeutic cloning• The European Convention on Human Rights

and Biomedicine prohibits human cloning in one of its additional protocols, 29 ratifiers.

Human reproductive cloning in Popular Culture

• Human clone is rather popular theme in contemporary science fiction

• Used in fiction as a way of recreating historical figures, replacement of deceased lovers, as a supply of organs for transplantation

• Mainly depicted negatively or as a crazy idea

Conclusions

• Issue of human reproductive cloning as a likely probability

• Understood as both scientific challenge and moral concern

• Unknowns at this time makes human reproductive cloning to be considered potentially dangerous and ethically irresponsible

Discussion

• Cloning technology in saving person’s life. Does it go too far?

• Politicians around the world have begun to ban human cloning experiments. Is it fair for politicians to decide what scientists can and cannot do?

• Why would anyone want a cloned baby? • What Might Be the Consequences of

Uninhibited Human Cloning?