http://news.excite.com/news/uw/011126/university-42
Updated: Mon, Nov 26 12:00 PM EST
(U-WIRE) DURHAM, N.C. -- Saving and
extending life represents a fundamental pursuit of the medical community,
and Sunday's announcement of the first cloning of a human embryo serves
as a stepping stone to that goal. The new capability -- which may facilitate
procedures like growing transplantable organs using the patient's own DNA
and treating such debilitating conditions as multiple sclerosis -- faces
a myriad of ethical issues. But public officials must realize that stopping
live-saving research may be unethical in itself.
This new scientific frontier has
encountered understandable reluctance, even from some of its supporters.
Although not human beings -- embryos are destroyed when scientists collect
the necessary cells -- tissue made from human DNA deserves a certain degree
of respect. Such tissue should not be created, left unused and carelessly
discarded; research on cloned material must have a clear purpose, and scientists
should not focus on this new medium for experimentation in cases where
other, non-human testing will suffice.
These fears have prompted the Senate
to consider adopting a ban on human cloning, following the lead of the
House of Representatives. But officials must realize that scientists have
only facilitated the creation of multiple human cells. Completely banning
cloning, a reactionary measure, is shortsighted and takes the United States
out of the new field at a crucial time in its development; even if U.S.
scientists are unable to proceed, cloning research will continue elsewhere.
If anything, the government should
assert itself in creating a strong set of regulations and assigning this
responsibility to a well-defined organization that will enforce those rules.
Only by involving themselves in the process can U.S. officials hope to
steer human research in a responsible manner. These regulations should
not be the outgrowth of a congressional committee or a convention of scientists;
they should involve a conglomeration of input from professionals coming
from many different fields that considers the medical, moral and social
implications of cloning research and its medical applications.
Too many lives could benefit from
this research to let extremists bring it to a grinding halt. Cloning's
vast menagerie of possibilities must be directed so that it can benefit
the health of many while preserving the dignity of the lives its beneficiaries
lead. As long as this legitimate scientific benefit exists, research into
uses of cloned human cells should continue.
(C) 2001 The Chronicle via U-WIRE
Staff Editorial
The Chronicle
Duke U.