Human reproductive cloning is an assisted reproductive technology that would be carried out with the goal of creating a newborn genetically identical to another human being. It is currently the subject of much debate around the world, involving a variety of ethical, religious, societal, scientific, and medical issues. Scientific and Medical Aspects of Human Reproductive Cloning considers the scientific and medical sides of this issue, plus ethical issues that pertain to human-subjects research. Based on experience with reproductive cloning in animals, the report concludes that human reproductive cloning would be dangerous for the woman, fetus, and newborn, and is likely to fail. The study panel did not address the issue of whether human reproductive cloning, even if it were found to be medically safe, would be—or would not be—acceptable to individuals or society.

Contents

• THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES
• PANEL ON SCIENTIFIC AND MEDICAL ASPECTS OF HUMAN CLONING
• COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE, ENGINEERING, AND PUBLIC POLICY
• BOARD ON LIFE SCIENCES
• Preface
• Acknowledgments
• Executive Summary
• 1. Introduction
  • NATIONAL BIOETHICS ADVISORY COMMISSION
  • CHARGE TO PANEL
  • METHOD
  • ORGANIZATION OF THIS REPORT
  • REFERENCES
• 2. Cloning: Definitions And Applications
  • WHAT IS MEANT BY REPRODUCTIVE CLONING OF ANIMALS INCLUDING HUMANS?
  • HOW IS REPRODUCTIVE CLONING DONE?
  • WILL CLONES LOOK AND BEHAVE EXACTLY THE SAME?
  • WHAT ARE THE PURPOSES OF REPRODUCTIVE CLONING?
  • HOW DOES REPRODUCTIVE CLONING DIFFER FROM STEM CELL RESEARCH?
  • FINDINGS
  • REFERENCES
• 3. Animal Cloning
  • WHICH MAMMALIAN SPECIES HAVE BEEN CLONED, AND HOW EFFICIENT ARE THE REPRODUCTIVE CLONING PROCEDURES?
  • WHAT DEFECTS HAVE BEEN OBSERVED IN CLONED ANIMALS?
  • WHAT ARE SOME POSSIBLE REASONS FOR THE DEFECTS?
  • FAILURES IN REPROGRAMMING
  • FAILURES IN GENOMIC IMPRINTING
  • MITOCHONDRIAL HETEROPLASMY AND CONFLICT
  • TELOMERE SHORTENING
  • MUTATIONS
  • X-CHROMOSOME INACTIVATION
  • HOW DOES THE SCIENCE OF ANIMAL REPRODUCTIVE CLONING APPLY TO THE CLONING OF HUMANS?
  • FINDINGS
  • REFERENCES
• 4. Assisted Reproductive Technology
  • WHAT IS ASSISTED REPRODUCTIVE TECHNOLOGY?
  • HOW EFFICIENT IS IN VITRO FERTILIZATION? HOW DOES IT COMPARE IN EFFICIENCY WITH ANIMAL CLONING?
  • WHAT OTHER ART PROCEDURES ARE RELEVANT TO HUMAN REPRODUCTIVE CLONING? WHAT IS THEIR RELEVANCE?
  • CAN CURRENT ART PROCEDURES BE USED TO ASSESS POSSIBLE RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH CLONING?
  • DOES CLONING PROVIDE BENEFITS NOT PROVIDED BY CURRENT ART PROCEDURES?
  • CAN THE SCREENING METHODS USED IN ART PROCEDURES BE USED TO PREVENT POTENTIAL SEVERE DEFECTS IN REPRODUCTIVELY CLONED HUMANS?
  • TO WHAT EXTENT ARE ART PROCEDURES REGULATED IN THE UNITED STATES?
  • HAVE ANY ART PROCEDURES EVER BEEN PROHIBITED OR THREATENED WITH PROHIBITION?
  • FINDINGS
  • REFERENCES
• 5. Human Reproductive Cloning: Proposed Activities and Regulatory Context
  • WHAT METHODS ARE LIKELY TO BE USED IF ANYONE CARRIES OUT HUMAN REPRODUCTIVE CLONING NOW OR IN THE NEAR FUTURE?
  • WHAT PROTECTIONS SHOULD BE PROVIDED TO HUMAN SUBJECTS WHO PARTICIPATE IN HUMAN CLONING?
  • HOW ARE HUMAN-SUBJECTS OF RESEARCH PROTECTED?
  • IN THE ABSENCE OF A CLONING BAN IN THE UNITED STATES, HOW WOULD HUMAN REPRODUCTIVE CLONING BE REGULATED, IF AT ALL?
  • HOW DOES A MORATORIUM COMPARE WITH OTHER POTENTIAL POLICY INTERVENTIONS RELATED TO HUMAN REPRODUCTIVE CLONING?
  • WHAT TYPES OF LEGISLATION ARE UNDER CONSIDERATION WITH RESPECT TO HUMAN REPRODUCTIVE CLONING?
  • WOULD A MORATORIUM ON HUMAN REPRODUCTIVE CLONING HOLD?
  • FINDINGS
  • REFERENCES
• 6. Findings and Recommendations
  • THE FINDINGS THAT SUPPORT A BAN ON HUMAN REPRODUCTIVE CLONING
  • IMPLICATIONS OF THE PROPOSED BAN ON REPRODUCTIVE CLONING FOR NUCLEAR TRANSPLANTATION TO PRODUCE STEM CELLS
  • THE PANEL'S CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
  • SUMMARY
  • REFERENCES
• Appendixes
  • A Panel and Staff Biographical Information
  • B Animal Reproductive Cloning Data Tables on Reproductive Cloning Efficiency and Defects
  • C Workshop Agenda and Speaker Biographical Information
  • D Bibliography
  • E Glossary

Funding: The development of this report was supported by the National Research Council.

NOTICE: The project that is the subject of this report was approved by the Governing Board of the National Research Council, whose members are drawn from the councils of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS), the National Academy of Engineering (NAE), and the Institute of Medicine (IOM). It is a result of work done by the Panel on Scientific and Medical Aspects of Human Cloning, a joint panel of the Committee on Science, Engineering, and Public Policy (COSEPUP) and the Board on Life Sciences (BLS). The members of the panel responsible for the report were chosen for their special competences and with regard for appropriate balance.

COSEPUP is a joint committee of NAS, NAE, and IOM. It includes members of the councils of all three bodies. For more information on COSEPUP, see www.nationalacademies.org/cosepup.