Call to ban reproductive cloning

In a report to the House of Lords select committee on stem cell research, the Royal Society has called for a worldwide moratorium on human reproductive cloning. The Society believe that this would be the only way to prevent 'rogue' experimental attempts at cloning babies in other countries where the law is unclear. The report follows recent claims by Severino Antinori, an Italian fertility doctor, that he will produce a cloned human baby in an unnamed Mediterranean country. The report says that cloning humans would be 'unethical' and that 'responsible scientists across the world should not ignore the public's well-founded opposition to such research'.

Professor Richard Gardner, leader of the working group which produced the report believes that 'a ban on reproductive cloning would have public support and is justified on scientific grounds'. He warned that trying to clone humans would also be too risky to attempt: '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'. The Royal Society is hoping that a voluntary moratorium might encourage international legislators to formally ban reproductive cloning of humans.

The report did however warn that research into potential therapeutic uses of cloning, including embryo stem cell research, must not be jeopardised by any action taken on reproductive cloning: 'in our view, there would be no merit in banning therapeutic cloning research for fear that it might give some benefit for reproductive cloning'.