American Medical Association supports cloning research

At its annual meeting in Chicago, US, last week, the American Medical Association (AMA) voted in support of the use of cloning technology in medical research. This is the first time the 260,000-member organisation has voiced its opinion on the matter. But, in a report written by its ethics committee, it said that cloning for reproductive purposes was 'wrong'.

The AMA said that the derivation of stem cells from cloned human embryos 'could save lives, improve quality of life and alleviate suffering'. Because of this, exploring cloning for research purposes was a benefit of the science that was too important not to explore, it said, adding that 'it is consistent with principles of medical ethics, particularly physicians' paramount obligation to the welfare of their patients and their responsibility to advance scientific knowledge'. Cloning for stem cell research should therefore be endorsed if it has 'appropriate oversight and monitoring' and if fully informed consent was given by the recipients of stem cells derived from cloned embryos.

Dr Michael Goldrich, new chair of the ethics committee, said 'this is really giving guidance to physicians on the science and the ethics'. In the light of President Bush's policy against cloning and stem cell research, he added 'we can't remain silent'. The US House of Representatives has voted twice to ban all forms of human cloning, including cloning for medical research using stem cells, otherwise known as 'therapeutic cloning'. The first bill attempting to ban all forms of cloning stalled in the Senate last year due to the summer break. A second measure has not yet been acted upon.

Meanwhile, a judiciary committee of the Louisiana Senate approved a bill that would extend a prohibition on reproductive cloning in the state for a further three years. The original bill would also have banned cloning for research purposes as well but, after a unanimous vote of the committee, was amended to take out these provisions. The amended bill will now be considered by the full Senate.