JC>The so-called "cloning" was, of course embryo splitting or twinning: a
JC>commonplace activity in animal breeding these days. It's a long way
JC>from true cloning, that would involve taking a somatic cell nucleus
JC>from an adult and producing a new individual based onthat genome.
You are right that this is not a case of true cloning, although it does
result in identical twins, triplets, etc. depending on how many times
they are able to divide the embryo. The popular press refers to it as
cloning for this reason. I wonder what the ethical implications might
be of cloning somatic cells? A person could produce their own army.
JC>Other issues that are "hot" today are the following:
JC>Producing children in post-menopausal women by oocyte donation - as for
JC>example the recent cases in Italy of women in their late 50s and early
JC>60s. Is this outside the "natuiral order" and is it in the child's
JC>best interest to be faced with adolescence with a mother in the 70s and
JC>80s (assuming she lives that long)
JC>Achieving pregnany for men with very severe semen defects by direct
JC>intracytoplasmic sperm injection. In suhc cases all "natural"
JC>selective barriers to sperm entry are by-passed. This is a bit of a
JC>worry: inthe majority of cases of male infertility there is no known
JC>cause, and yet there are clear links in some cases to genetic defects
JC>such as cystic fibrosis. Are the sons of these men likely to be
JC>infertile, and if so do clinicians have the "right" to perpetuate this
JC>condition?
Thank you for mentioning these other issues. Modern biotechnology is
going to produce a real slew of ethical problems. I had not yet heard
of intracytoplasmic sperm injection. I find the thought of using that
technique problematic too. It might be smarter to go to a sperm bank.
It seems like such a gamble to inject faulty sperm without knowing why
they are faulty.
Bryan Ness, Asst. Professor of Biology
Pacific Union College
bness at bbs.puc.edu
* OLX 2.1 TD * Proofread carefully to see if you any words out.
