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NEWS RELEASE
For
Immediate Release August 13, 2002
Contacts: Mark Helm,
202-783-7400 x102 Wayne Pacelle, HSUS, 202-778-6112
Cloned Animals Suffer
Death, Deformities According to Leading Journal Articles
Washington, DC -- The latest
edition of the journal Cloning and Stem Cells documents deaths and
deformities suffered by cloned pigs at the University of Missouri and
Texas A&M. The University of Missouri study, entitled "Phenotyping of
Transgenic Cloned Pigs," cites "a high mortality rate among cloned
piglets." Out of 10 born, five died or were destroyed by researchers due
to defects such as heart failure, lameness, and anemia. The Texas A&M
study, entitled "A Highly Efficient Method for Porcine Cloning by Nuclear
Transfer Using In Vitro - Matured Oocytes," documents a 94% failure rate.
Out of the 511 manipulated oocytes transferred, only 28 pigs came to term,
one of which was still born. Additionally, "another of the 28 piglets was
born lacking an anus and tail," a fatal condition called anal atresia. The
study suggests that the deformity may have been introduced through the
cloning process: "Was the genetic (or epigenetic) defect that led to the
anal atresia introduced during the culture of the donor cell, or was it
due to inappropriate nuclear reprogramming?"
"Deaths and
deformities in cloned animals are the norm, not the exception, and these
studies make plain once again that these creatures are suffering terribly
in the process," said Wayne Pacelle, Senior Vice President of the Humane
Society of the United States."
According to Dr. Ian Wilmut,
co-creator of Dolly the sheep "the widespread problems associated with
clones has [sic] led to questions as to whether any clone was entirely
normal" ("Why no-one should be attempting to clone a child," Roslin
Institute, www.roslin.ac.uk/publications/0001annrep/child.html). Even
Dolly, the product of 277 failed attempts now suffers from arthritis and
other symptoms of premature aging possibly caused by cloning.
At a time when political debate
is heating up on the topic of whether or not to permit human cloning in
the United States and many scientists are quick to proclaim their
experiments a success, Dr. Wilmut also offers words of caution: "There is
abundant evidence that cloning can and does go wrong and no justification
for believing that this will not happen with humans."
The first cloned human
pregnancies were reported in April and July of this year. "It should
concern us all that scientists are trying to clone humans," said Larry
Bohlen, Director of Health and Environment Programs at Friends of the
Earth. "Given the evidence of almost certain harm human cloning should be
banned."
FoE is a national environmental
organization dedicated to preserving the health and diversity of the
planet and empowering citizens to have an influential voice in decisions
affecting their environment. HSUS is a national organization with a
mission of promoting the protection of all animals. HSUS is dedicated to
creating a world where humans' relationship with animals is guided by
compassion, a truly humane society in which animals are respected for
their intrinsic value, and where the human-animal bond is
strong.
Friends of the Earth - 1025 Vermont Ave.
NW - Washington, DC 20005 USA Tel: 202-783-7400 - Fax: 202-783-0444 -
email: foe@foe.org |