Federal panel to back human embryo

cloning

June 4, 1997 Web posted at: 11:49 a.m. EDT (1549 GMT)

WASHINGTON (AP) -- A presidential commission will propose that Congress enact legislation allowing some researchers to create cloned human embryos but ban use of the embryos to make human babies, a panel member said Wednesday.

"The commission is not suggesting any bans or prohibitions with respect to experimental procedures with human embryos that don't result in a baby," said a panel member who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The 18-member National Bioethics Advisory Commission, appointed by President Clinton after the successful cloning of a sheep named Dolly in Scotland, will make final recommendations at a meeting this weekend.

"The issues that arose in the case of Dolly stemmed largely from the prospect of creating an individual who would be genetically identical to an individual who exists or previously exists and that is what we are addressing."

-- ethics panel member

The commission will propose that privately funded scientists and doctors be allowed to make cloned human embryos for research but not be allowed to implant them into women's wombs, the panel member said.

"The issues that arose in the case of Dolly stemmed largely from the prospect of creating an individual who would be genetically identical to an individual who exists or previously exists and that is what we are addressing," the panel member said.

The panel's recommendations on embryos were first reported by The Washington Post Wednesday. The newspaper said it had obtained a copy of the panel's proposals and interviewed panel members.

Clinton announced a moratorium on the use of federal funds for human embryo cloning in February and appointed the panel of experts in science, law and theology to make broad recommendations on the issue to Congress.

The commission was asked to find common ground between those who see cloning as an option for infertile couples and those who see human cloning as unethical or immoral.

The panel has met five times at Clinton's request and delayed its final report by about two weeks in an effort to reach consensus.

"The most important thing is to get some rules about ethical conduct," said David R. Cox, a commission member and professor of genetics and pediatrics at Stanford University.

Some panel told The Associated Press last month that scientific controls should be extended to "all research settings, whether in the public or private sector."

"Our concern here is that an in vitro fertilization doctor will say, 'I'm not doing research, but using an innovative technique to help a couple with severe infertility,'" said panel member Bernard Lo, director of medical ethics at the University of California, San Francisco.

Historically, in vitro fertilization doctors have used this argument to avoid scientific oversight, Lo said.