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CNN Live Today
A Look at the Cloning Issue for Research
Aired February 12, 2004 - 11:05 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Supporters of therapeutic cloning say it holds tremendous promise of medical research, but ethical concerns arise because the research destroys human embryos.
Arthur Kaplan is a medical ethicist and chairman of the Department of Bioethics of the University of Pennsylvania. We often call on him when we go and look at these situations when science is moving forward and the morals and ethics need to catch up. He is joining us from Philly this morning.
Art, good morning. Good to have you here with us.
ARTHUR KAPLAN, UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA: Thanks for having me.
KAGAN: Let's pick up where the piece left off. This is what would appear to be a step forward, but we're not, by any means, right around the corner from creating new kidneys or creating human babies.
KAPLAN: What this is, Daryn, is the first credible report that you can do human cloning and get stem cells out of a human embryo.
We've all heard report from all kinds of people saying they've made cloned babies. There's even been some previous announcements about human cloned embryos. But this is the first science journal, peer-reviewed gold-standard demonstration. So that's what makes it so interesting and so timely. Nobody in a "star Trek" uniform, no kook, no cult. This is the real McCoy, if you will.
KAGAN: Nobody like the Realians coming out...
(CROSSTALK)
KAGAN: What's interesting here too is that this took place in South Korea. Why do you find that significant, Art?
KAPLAN: Well it didn't come up in the previous piece, Daryn, but a key American scientist from Michigan State is part of the Korean team. He's there because he thinks the climate in the U.S. is not as supportive of stem cell research as it is in Korea.
Now, we've got American scientists in Britain, we've got American scientists in Singapore, clearly have American scientists in Korea. Every one of those countries is going ahead with this research.
The question that faces the United States is are we going to see this technology move overseas or are we going to let moral reservations about it inhibit its development in our pharmaceutical and biotech industry?
KAGAN: Those moral reservation go all way to the White House, President Bush saying he will support a ban on all human cloning. There are some serious concerns that some people have about this research, even though it does promise what many people believe would be ultimate miracles.
KAPLAN: Well I think the big is if you make this kind of thing in a dish, have you created a human life? I don't think most Americans believe an embryo in a dish is a human life. Potential human life, possible human life.
KAGAN: Although, to be fair, there are people who believe that an embryo is human life.
KAPLAN: Yes, absolutely. But most don't, but I think many do. And I think our president does in this case.
So basically you've got a tradeoff. Can you make something that people have strong moral views about in terms of destroying it, in order to benefit other people? And that's going to be the key debate. I think we're going to hear about it in the election campaign coming up.
KAGAN: We'll be looking for it. Art Kaplan, University of Pennsylvania, thank you so much.
KAPLAN: Thanks, Daryn.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired February 12, 2004 - 11:05 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Supporters of therapeutic cloning say it holds tremendous promise of medical research, but ethical concerns arise because the research destroys human embryos.
Arthur Kaplan is a medical ethicist and chairman of the Department of Bioethics of the University of Pennsylvania. We often call on him when we go and look at these situations when science is moving forward and the morals and ethics need to catch up. He is joining us from Philly this morning.
Art, good morning. Good to have you here with us.
ARTHUR KAPLAN, UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA: Thanks for having me.
KAGAN: Let's pick up where the piece left off. This is what would appear to be a step forward, but we're not, by any means, right around the corner from creating new kidneys or creating human babies.
KAPLAN: What this is, Daryn, is the first credible report that you can do human cloning and get stem cells out of a human embryo.
We've all heard report from all kinds of people saying they've made cloned babies. There's even been some previous announcements about human cloned embryos. But this is the first science journal, peer-reviewed gold-standard demonstration. So that's what makes it so interesting and so timely. Nobody in a "star Trek" uniform, no kook, no cult. This is the real McCoy, if you will.
KAGAN: Nobody like the Realians coming out...
(CROSSTALK)
KAGAN: What's interesting here too is that this took place in South Korea. Why do you find that significant, Art?
KAPLAN: Well it didn't come up in the previous piece, Daryn, but a key American scientist from Michigan State is part of the Korean team. He's there because he thinks the climate in the U.S. is not as supportive of stem cell research as it is in Korea.
Now, we've got American scientists in Britain, we've got American scientists in Singapore, clearly have American scientists in Korea. Every one of those countries is going ahead with this research.
The question that faces the United States is are we going to see this technology move overseas or are we going to let moral reservations about it inhibit its development in our pharmaceutical and biotech industry?
KAGAN: Those moral reservation go all way to the White House, President Bush saying he will support a ban on all human cloning. There are some serious concerns that some people have about this research, even though it does promise what many people believe would be ultimate miracles.
KAPLAN: Well I think the big is if you make this kind of thing in a dish, have you created a human life? I don't think most Americans believe an embryo in a dish is a human life. Potential human life, possible human life.
KAGAN: Although, to be fair, there are people who believe that an embryo is human life.
KAPLAN: Yes, absolutely. But most don't, but I think many do. And I think our president does in this case.
So basically you've got a tradeoff. Can you make something that people have strong moral views about in terms of destroying it, in order to benefit other people? And that's going to be the key debate. I think we're going to hear about it in the election campaign coming up.
KAGAN: We'll be looking for it. Art Kaplan, University of Pennsylvania, thank you so much.
KAPLAN: Thanks, Daryn.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
