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CNN Live At Daybreak

Is Cloning Safe for Humans?

Aired August 08, 2001 - 08:11   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.
COLLEEN MCEDWARDS, CNN ANCHOR: To the debate on the brave new world of cloning. Is the science safe enough to try on humans?

Researchers testified yesterday that cloning is far from perfect. But that isn't stopping some other researchers, who say hundreds of infertile couples are ready to go ahead and try it. And it raises the question to what lengths will some people go to have a baby.

The debate over human cloning continues this morning. Pamela Madsen is executive director of the American Infertility Association, and she joins us from New York.

Pamela Madsen, why would an infertile couple turn to cloning as an alternative?

PAMELA MADSEN, AMERICAN INFERTILITY ASSOCIATION: Well, we have to be aware that infertility is a really devastating life-stopping disease. And most people that I speak to consider having children one of the most important things that they can do in their lives. So imagine, if you can't have that family and how you would feel if you had no options left open to you. And that's why I think we have to be so concerned about researchers who may be over promising very vulnerable infertility patients the possibility of a child through cloning.

MCEDWARDS: And in what way do you think they are over promising, as you say?

MADSEN: Well, we don't know that cloning is safe on humans. In fact, what we do know is that it doesn't look like it's safe. And should we allow a baby -- a very innocent child to come into this world that could have the possibility of severe birth defects. And I think that we have to be very cautious in how we proceed. And sometimes we have to take care of people a little bit when they are at their most vulnerable.

MCEDWARDS: You know, some people have likened this issue of cloning to the in vitro issue. Twenty years ago people said, in vitro is scary. You can't make a baby in a petri dish and put it in a mother's womb. Is that a fair parallel or not?

MADSEN: Well, it's a fair parallel in the sense that it was the unknown. But I think that we do -- we did know more about in vitro fertilization before we did it. And I think that we know enough today about cloning in animals to know that it's not going very well in animals. And if it's not going well in animals yet, we need more research before we bring families into this.

You know, not -- I think we have to also be clear that most infertile couples are not looking at cloning as an option. This is a very, very isolated cases of patients who are looking at this.

MCEDWARDS: Yes, because they have lots of options -- right. I mean, we have already talked about in vitro. But these days we have been hearing even about adopting an embryo. This has come up in the stem cell debate. I mean, you can actually go and adopt someone's embryo that they don't intend to use. So there are lots of options out there.

MADSEN: You know, there is embryo adoption. There is ova donation. There is sperm donation. There is surrogacy. There are lots of -- and there are adoptions. There are lots of ways to build your family safely. And most infertile people are not looking for the exact replica of themselves.

MCEDWARDS: So do you think when people...

MADSEN: So people that -- I'm sorry.

MCEDWARDS: ... when these scientists talk about having 200 people, who are, you know, infertile couples who want to do this, do you think that borders on propaganda? Do you think they are really interested more in having a human laboratory to test this type of technology out?

MADSEN: Well, you know, I think we have to worry about people who are looking for their own celebrity at the risk of patients. And I speak to hundreds of patients a week. And it's really interesting, because I have never spoken to an infertile person who is looking at cloning as an option for family building. Most infertile couples are looking for that really unique, special combination of DNA that's the result of their marriage or their partner -- that every special human being that has never been here before. And that's what most people are looking for. And I think it's a shame that we could have some folks out there who might be preying on vulnerable couples. It's very upsetting.

MCEDWARDS: Pamela Madsen, great to talk to you today -- appreciate your time.

MADSEN: It's a pleasure. Thank you.

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