SCIENCE OF HUMAN CLONING
In normal human reproduction the male’s sperm and the female’s egg fuse naturally, each of which contributes half of the genetic DNA that creates a unique individual. In other words, you are made up of your parents DNA. In human cloning, the DNA comes from only one source that of the person being cloned. The process Wilmut and his colleagues used to create Dolly is known as gene transfer. The scientists mechanically fused a cell from one lamb into an enucleated egg cell, which is an egg that has no nucleus (the nucleus contains the cell’s DNA). The nucleus is sucked out by a needle on a petri dish. Since the egg lacks DNA, the created embryo contains DNA from only one source. Therefore, the embryo will develop into an exact copy of the lamb whose DNA was taken and put into the cell. Dolly was proof that the possibility of performing gene transfer using adult cells can result in a cloned adult mammal. Wilmut and his colleagues implanted 30 developed embryos into Blackface ewes, and one of these pregnancies resulted in the birth of a Fin Dorset lamb, which was Dolly. (Bender, 1998, 6-7).
The basic cloning techniques and procedures have not changed that much since the cloning of Dolly. First, doctors harvest the eggs from female donors who have taken fertility drugs. They then take out the DNA bearing nuclei with a needle on a petri dish, leaving the egg with no nucleus. The cells from the person who wants to be cloned are mixed with the nucleus-free egg and a jolt of electricity forces some cells to fuse, giving the egg a new nucleus. The rebuilt egg develops into an embryo, and the embryo is implanted in a surrogate mother. The embryo will be carried to term, and born normally. (Gibbs, 2003, 32-34).
CANADIAN LAW
Canadian law concerning reproductive cloning has been unclear. In 1989, the federal government created the Royal Commission on New Reproductive Technologies and released its report in 1993. Since the creation of the Royal Commission on New Reproductive Technologies, Canada has been trying to define the appropriate legislative and regulatory controls to govern assisted human reproduction. In 1996, Bill C-47 (the Human Reproductive and Genetic Technologies Act) was introduced in the House of Commons. The bill included the prohibition against a number of practices, including human cloning, sex selection and the sales of genetic material. The bill was terminated in 1997 after Parliament dismantled following the federal election call. Another bill, Bill C-247, was introduced to ban human cloning later that year. That bill was defeated after its second reading in the House of Commons. (Muscati, 2002, 41-42). On May 9th, 2002, the Minister of Health, Anne McLellan, introduced legislation in the House of Commons on assisted human reproduction. This bill was named Bill C-56 and it is now known as Bill C-13 (the Assisted Human Reproduction Act). Bill C-13 is an act respecting assisted human reproductive technologies and related research. The proposed bill would protect the health and safety of Canadians using assisted human reproduction in order to build a family. The bill would also prohibit unacceptable practices including creating a human clones for reproductive and therapeutic purposes; revealing the gender of an embryo; the sale of human embryos; paying a woman to be a surrogate mother; and paying a donor for their sperm or eggs. The bill will also establish the Assisted Human Reproduction Agency of Canada, which will license, monitor, and enforce the act and regulations. (Health Canada, 2002, http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/english/media/releases/2002/2002_34.htm). The bill’s first reading in the House of Commons was on October 9th, 2002 and it has not yet been given Royal Assent. If Bill C-13 passes, it would make Canada the newest in a long list of nations to adopt legislation banning human cloning and other certain practices. Countries that have already banned human cloning include Britain, Israel, Japan, and Germany. Legislation is still pending in several other countries, such as the United States. (Muscati, 2002, 42-43). The legislative history of Bill C-13 is provided on the next page.
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY FOR BILL C-13
(“Bill C-13: Assisted Human Reproduction Act,” 2003, http://www.parl.gc.ca/common/bills_ls.asp?lang=E&ls=c13&source=library_prb&Parl=37&Ses=2)
ADVANTAGES OF HUMAN CLONING
Unfortunately, many couples have difficulties having children, and sometimes it is impossible for couples to have children of their own because they are infertile. Approximately one out of eight couples are infertile in Canada. (Liberal Party of Canada, 2002, http://www.liberal.ca/lpc/initiatives.a-
spx?site=initiatives&initiatives=309). Cloning would allow these infertile couples to have a child of their won genetic offspring, even if they have been through several infertility treatments. An example is that sometimes a woman is born without a uterus or has other implications and cannot produce eggs. With the help of a surrogate mother, she can have a child of her own using her own DNA or her husband’s DNA. (Farnsworth, 2000, ). Homosexual couples can also benefit from human cloning, since they cannot produce a child that is related to them. Clonaid states that a possible advantage of human cloning is for families who have a lost a family member or a loved one. Cloning could give a second life to a human with the same genetic code; an example would be a child who has died at an early age. (Gary, 2003, http://www.clonaid.com/index/html). Cloning is also an advantage to research, as it is an advancement of science technology and more experiments involving cell research could be done in the near future. For example, it is possible that through cloning technology scientists could learn to renew activity of damaged cells by replacing them with new grown cells. Scientists can also learn more about cell differentiation at the same time that cloning is studied and developed. A better understanding of cell differentiation could lead to a possible cure for cancer. (Human Cloning Foundation, 1998, http://www.humancloning.org/benefits.htm). Cloning humans with the same genetic makeup to act as organ donors is a potential medical benefit, as there are thousands worldwide waiting for organs. Therapeutic cloning would allow the creation of organs (such as livers and kidneys) that would be 100% genetically compatible and therefore organs would not be rejected and lives would be saved. Human cloning technology could be used to reverse heart attacks, some scientists believe that they may be able to treat heart attack victims by injecting cloned healthy heart cells into damaged heart areas and it will lead to healing of the heart. (Farnsworth, 2000, http://thefarnsworths.com/science/cloning.htm).
DISADVANTAGES OF HUMAN CLONING
Cloning is an intense debate in North America and the world today, mainly because of the numerous disadvantages and risks of cloning. The first disadvantage of human cloning would be the possibility of physical harms and implications for the humans who would be produced by cloning. Mishaps and deformities can be caused as it has been shown through past research on cloned animals. An example would be cloned mice, experimented in the past, that have developed all sorts of genetic defects. (Gibbs, 2003, 32-34). Comparable abnormalities would be devastating in humans. Cloned human beings may be treated as second-class citizens, since they would be manufactured rather than conceived like normal human beings. They may be viewed by society as commodities and therefore treated less humanely. There may also be psychosocial problems on the family and society. It would be unethical to produce clones for research and it is against the code of ethics of a doctor to harm a cloned human for organ transplants or for body parts. The cloned human would be a human being and therefore deserves all the rights and privileges that normal (non-cloned) humans have. (Farnsworth, 2000, http://thefarnsworths.com/science/cloning.htm). Another disadvantage is that a cloned child would be robbed of the genetic uniqueness, as there is a loss of genetic variation. Cloning technology is currently not well developed as it has a low fertility rate. The success rate was quite low when cloning the lamb Dolly. Wilmut and his colleagues used 277 eggs, of which 30 of these eggs developed into embryos, and only one survived to term (which was Dolly). Several scientists, ethicist, and religious organizations are opposing the practice of human cloning. The following quote is from John O’Connor, a Roman Catholic cardinal and the archbishop of New York, on his view of why human cloning would be unethical:
The cloning of a human being would be unethical because it would not serve any necessary or beneficial medical purpose. The research needed to develop human cloning would produce many imperfect results, and it would be sinful to simply dispose of these “mistakes.” In addition, if humans were successfully cloned, such persons would have no parents and would therefore be less than fully human in status. Further, scientists simply do not have the wisdom to direct the course of evolution.
(Bender, 1998, 13).
CONCLUSION
The proposed Bill C-13 (the Assisted Human Reproduction Act) would respect assisted human reproductive technologies and related research, protect the health and safety of infertile Canadians using assisted human reproduction, and prohibit unacceptable practices such as cloning and the selling of genetic material. Bill C-13 is acceptable in Canadian society because this act would help Canadian infertile couples use assisted human reproduction with protection and safety, in order to build a family. I think Bill C-13 should be passed because it would prohibit human cloning for reproductive purposes. As shown through past research on cloned animals, especially mice, mishaps, genetic defects and deformities were developed and this would be absolutely devastating in humans. Also, cloned human beings may be treated as second-class citizens because they are more like “experiments” rather then normal human beings. There may also be psychosocial problems on the family and society. Cloning is an excellent advancement in science technology, but it should not be used to reproduce humans. If therapeutic cloning is possible, and if it saves humans (through organ transplants), then it should be allowed. Bill C-13 states that it would prohibit all types of cloning, including therapeutic cloning, therefore it may have to change. Human cloning is definitely a risk, and lives should not be wasted in these experiments.
