Global ban demanded on cloning of humans

Britain's most eminent body of scientists is calling for an international ban on human cloning as the only way to help to prevent it in a country where it is legally permitted.

The Royal Society believes a worldwide moratorium on the so-called reproductive cloning of babies is necessary to deter rogue scientists who have vowed to go ahead with the controversial procedure.

"A human cloning ban would have public support, is justified on scientific grounds and would assist in improving the public's confidence in science," says the Royal Society in a report to the House of Lords.

Although cloning is prohibited in Britain, there are many countries where the law is either unclear or equivocal. One Italian doctor has already declared that he intends to begin human cloning in an unspecified Mediterranean country.

Professor Richard Gardner, an Oxford scientist and leader of the Royal Society's working group on cloning, said any such attempt would run a high risk of disastrous birth defects. "Our experience with animals suggests there would be a very real danger of creating seriously handicapped individuals if anybody tries to implant cloned human embryos into the womb," Professor Gardner said.

"What we're hoping for is that national governments will be persuaded to legislate against it. We want other countries to follow our lead. There are a lot of places where this has not been formally addressed."

Professor Severino Antinori, a controversial Italian specialist in reproductive medicine, caused outrage earlier this year when he said he intended to be the first to clone a human being with the aid of skills acquired through in vitro fertilisation (IVF).

Professor Gardner said that, unlike other claims in human cloning, Professor Antinori's were being taken seriously because of his background in helping couples to have test-tube babies.

"He's a scientist of some standing," Professor Gardner said. "A lot of people believe it will be attempted but when and where, we don't know. When these scientists talk about the possible benefits of human reproductive cloning, such as replacing a beloved child or partner lost in an accident, they betray wholly unrealistic expectations about the outcome.

"While a clone is likely to bear a striking physical resemblance to the original, the two will differ at least as much as identical twins in terms of personality and other higher mental attributes."

Although the Royal Society would like an international ban on reproductive cloning, it does not want such a moratorium to interfere with stem cell research, which requires an early human embryo to be cloned for therapeutic purposes.

"In our view, there would be no merit in banning therapeutic cloning research for fear that it might give some benefit for [illegal] reproductive cloning," the Royal Society says in its report.

"The only way to decrease the likelihood of human reproductive cloning would be an international ban or moratorium."