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The cloning/genome debate has been increasing in volume over the years. Every month, new research expands the borders of the possible, and different ethical and religious questions come to light. New possibilities are coming into being: things that we didn't even consider in the past except, perhaps, in the realm of science fiction novels.

Three years ago, the world heard about Dolly, the cloned sheep. And the world reacted. Many said, "This is going too far." Many were not really sure what to think, but something just didn't seem to be right. Many countries immediately began to work on legislation controlling the cloning of human beings. In November 1997 UNESCO adopted a Universal Declaration on the Human Genome and Human Rights in which it reaffirmed its support for human dignity and the respect for human diversity, stating, for instance, in article 11, that: "Practices which are contrary to human dignity, such as reproductive cloning of human beings, shall not be permitted." For many people, the issue of cloning was getting a little too close to reality for comfort. In a poll taken by CNN and Time in the United States in March 1997, 66 percent felt that it was wrong to clone animals and 89 felt it was wrong to clone humans. (cnn.com)

What was special about Dolly, and why is everyone so excited about it? Dolly is a sheep with essentially identical genes as her mother. She was the first animal ever cloned from an grown cell. Up to this point, so-called clones have been made, but they have been made from a fertilized egg. In other words they have been made from a cell which has the genes of both a father and a mother. The way these genes mix is not controllable, but with this former method, one could bring about many identical siblings. The thing about Dolly was that scientists could look at the adult animal and see if it had the qualities they wanted, and then clone that animal.

The controversy on three fronts Cloning has taken on several different facets in recent years. Most have goals related to health and medicine. They generally fall under the term biotechnology. The field can be distilled into three main areas or levels. 1. DNA manipulation and gene research: working with the blueprint, the genome, on a molecular level. The goals here are mostly related to genetically-caused or genetically-related diseases: finding cures for Alzheimer's, cancer, leukemia, etc. Worries include genetic manipulation, resulting in mutant life-forms or done for the purpose of creating a "master race," as well as privacy issues, big-brother fears--will there be a national DNA registration? Will I lose my job if I refuse a DNA test? 2. "Stem cell" cultures and organ farming: Here the cloning and manipulation is done on a cellular level, or perhaps in the "growing" of cloned organs. Goals are to be able to replace bad organs with good, to smooth organ transplant, to encourage organs to grow new, healthy tissue in place of old, diseased tissue. For the pro-life camp, especially, stem cells are presently taken mostly from embryos, and as such are unethical. Problems with organ farming include fear of animal diseases spreading to humans. 3. The cloning of living creatures: Where cells are taken out of living creatures, "encouraged" to grow into an embryo, and placed in an adult animal's womb to develop. As yet, there is no foreseeable cloning method where the animal grows outside the womb, in a man-made structure. Cloning, especially when done with adult animals, enables the raising of animals who have proven to be valuable. On the human level, some foresee people "bringing someone back to life" who died a tragic death. Some fear a degeneration of the value of life itself, being replaced by value being given based on certain genetic qualities. Others have a general apprehension about the idea.

The limitations are that there is still apparently some residual information in the cell, outside the nucleus, the "brain" of the cell, so today's clones aren't exact copies, yet. Another limitation is that scientists cannot yet "create" life. They always will need something to start with and actually clones need not only an existing cell to use as a host, but a real womb in which to grow to term.

Nonetheless, it's a major step and one with very big implications for our lives in the not too distant future. The scientists are not excited without reason. There is a great deal of potential there. There are a great deal of applications and many areas to be considered regarding the field. We also must keep a close watch on ethical aspects of cloning, as there is a great potential for abuse.

Just as computer technology deals with both the miniature--now approaching the molecular level--as well as the grandiose, biotechnology is a field that operates on a micro and a macro level. From cloning entire adult animals, like Dolly, the world-famous sheep, to the human genome project, dividing the code which regulates living things into it's molecular components, the pace in biotechnology is accelerating and expanding to effect many fields, accompanied by cries for ethics, standards, and legal controls.

For many people today, there are some things that are acceptable and others that are not. There is a dividing line in the gray areas of the cloning issues that may differ from person to person, depending on that person's values, as well as their understanding of the cloning debate. Some just feel a general uneasiness because they are uncertain what is actually taking place.

There are some who are raising their voices in concern, but these people are generally outside the lab room, and can exert only a passive influence on the situation. The business world has had a large hand in the direction and the progress of cloning, although some experiments have been done by national, public organizations.

Standards and legal controls are being developed, but the field is so broad and multi-faceted that it's hard to develop meaningful laws and standards. One perhaps unforeseen aspect is the area of patents, and the resulting potential for "cloning industries." How far can a company go in claiming they were there first?

Genetic patenting has come under some serious criticism recently, which deserves to be considered. The ethics question was simple in a day when this was still an area for the philosopher and the fiction writer, but today it has become more complex. It is no longer a simple "yes" or "no," "good" or "bad," question.

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