Last week was the beginning of a new era. Religious and social
norms were altered forever when a small religious group known as
the Raelians and their affiliated company Clonaid announced that
they had managed to play God ““ they claimed they had cloned
two human beings. In fact, they were so pleased with their efforts
they nicknamed one of the supposed clones “Eve.”
The Raelians basked in the spotlight during the ensuing media
circus ““ giving countless television interviews and receiving
front-page attention in the New York Times. It’s hard to
complain about the coverage, because after all, the group had
purportedly accomplished a scientific feat which had managed to
elude mainstream scientists for years.
But a lot can change in a week. Since the dramatic announcement
in late December, Clonaid has been unable to produce a shred of
evidence to justify their claims. No DNA evidence, no medical
examinations, not even a cute, generic baby picture is available to
prove the clones’ existence. Harry Griffin, a scientist at
the Roslin Institute (the place which cloned the famous sheep
Dolly), told Reuters, “Clonaid have made claims of two
births, but provided no evidence that either baby exists, no
evidence from DNA tests, and as yet, therefore, there is no reason
to believe this is anything other than a long, drawn out publicity
stunt.”
So it’s a hoax. So what? So a fringe religion claims to
have cloned a human being to bump up their membership, and aside
from causing a temporary worldwide panic, how does that affect us
in the long run? Well, this totally irresponsible behavior on the
part of Clonaid and the Raelians could stunt medical progress in
the United States for many years to come. Lawmakers could be
pressured to ban all forms of cloning technology, including
research related to stem cells and beneficial gene therapy.
University of Wisconsin bioethicist Alta Charo is worried that
“Public policy may be made based on these outlandish claims.
They (Congress) plan to press forward with legislation that goes
way beyond anything we need with regard to reproductive cloning and
move toward banning research that uses the same techniques with no
outcome.”
All medical and technological breakthroughs have their pluses
and minuses. Splitting the atom brought us cheap, clean energy
““ and the atomic bomb. The internet brought the world to our
fingertips ““ and a quick venue for child pornography. And
while certain aspects of cloning technology can be scary, the
potential for medical advancement which accompanies this technology
is astounding.
By using techniques very similar to those used in cloning,
scientists can do amazing things with embryonic stem cells. For
example, by implanting a heart cell nucleus in an embryonic stem
cell, researchers can grow new heart tissue which can be used to
repair serious heart conditions. There is evidence this technology
can be used to help reverse Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s
disease. Dr. Robert Lanza, the director of Advanced Cell
Technology, a biological research company mused “Who
wouldn’t want to alleviate a lifetime of suffering if one
could do it with a microscopic ball of cells?”
However, because of the Raelians’ clone hoax, lawmakers
might be influenced to throw out the proverbial baby with the
bathwater, and ban all forms of cloning research, including stem
cells and the like. That would be a shame.
As someone who has a strong family history of heart disease and
Alzheimer’s, I want these problems solved soon, to help
myself and the millions of others who could be cured. The Raelians
wanted a legacy of giving life, but if their hoax backfires and all
research is banned, they might be remembered for taking it.
E-mail Ludlow with your comments at dludlow@media.ucla.edu.