Coalition for the Advancement of Medical Research

Coalition for the Advancement of Medical Research Supports Ban on Human Reproductive Cloning:Group Urges Congress to Act Quickly

Washington,DC-December 27, 2002—Today, the Coalition for the Advancement of Medical Research (CAMR), reiterated its strong support for a ban on human reproductive cloning that seeks to create babies. The Coalition calls on the United States Congress to act quickly and pass legislation that would make the cloning of human beings, which results in a live birth, illegal. CAMR, comprised of the nation’s leading patient groups, universities, and scientific societies, has led the charge to support federal funding for embryonic stem cell research and efforts to oppose a ban on somatic cell nuclear transfer (commonly known as therapeutic cloning).

“With the news of a birth which potentially resulted from human reproductive cloning, it is more important now than ever that the American public understand the difference between this type of cloning, which seeks to create babies, and somatic cell nuclear transfer, which seeks to create stem cells to treat people with life-threatening diseases and conditions,” said Michael Manganiello, President of CAMR. “It is critical that the Congress act now to ban human reproductive cloning and avoid further delays,” he added. Somatic cell nuclear transfer is about saving and improving lives. It is fundamentally different from human reproductive cloning; it produces stem cells, not babies. In somatic cell nuclear transfer, the nucleus of a donor’s unfertilized egg is removed and replaced with the nucleus of a patient’s own cells, like a skin, heart, or nerve cell. These types of cells are called somatic cells. The goal is to develop stem cells that will not be rejected or destroyed by the patient’s immune system. No sperm is used in this procedure. The cells are not transplanted into a womb. The unfertilized egg cells are stored in a petri dish to become a source of stem cells that can be used to treat life-threatening medical conditions. Somatic cell nuclear transfer aims to treat or cure patients by creating tailor-made, genetically identical cells that their bodies won’t reject. In other words, somatic cell nuclear transfer could allow patients with diseases and conditions like cancer, diabetes, ALS, Parkinson’s, spinal cord injuries and many more to be cured using their own DNA.