> From: Ganas <[log in to unmask]>

> Does the list of gp-uk follow the latest developments in human
cloning?

Yes, but it seems to be a lot of fuss about nothing.  There are
several reasons why the concern about cloning is all to no
purpose, at least as far as the science of it has progressed so
far.

1.  The clones, if produced in the same way as Dolly the sheep,
will not be identical to the donor of the genes.  The
mitochondrial genes in the ovum used will not be the same as
those of the donor, unless the donor uses his or her mother or
sister, or unless a female uses one of her own ova for the
implant.  There would be differences.

2.  Even if the clone were to be the same genetically, the
similarity would be like that of identical twins, where there
are often significant differences.  The growth and development
of the embryo would depend on the environment of the mothering
womb, and the child that was then born would grow up just like
any other individual, taking twenty or so years to do that.  He
or she might not want anything to do with the clone parent.

3. Cloning, unlike the rhetoric in the newspapers, is not about
producing another self, but another individual.  The personality
of the person being cloned would die with them.  There is no
feasible way at the moment, or foreseeably, of transplanting a
personality.

4.  The expense of cloning is such that only a relatively small
number of people would or could consider it.  That will be far
outweighed by the number of unwanted and unplanned children that
are currently born, which problem would much more merit the
amount of newspaper space being devoted to cloning.

5.  At the moment, in the United Kingdom, cloning would appear
to be forbidden by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act,
1990, Section 3 (3)(d)which states that "A licence cannot
authorise replacing a nucleus of a cell of an embryo with a
nucleus taken from a cell of any person, embryo or subsequent
development of an embryo."  It seems as though the lawmakers got
it right for once.  The same subject is also touched on in
Section 13 (6)(b).

6.  For most of us, the original way of producing children is
much more fun. 
  

John McGough


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