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South Korea Pursues Cloning Research
Aired February 12, 2004 - 15:04 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.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Another story that we're watching closely today, the medical and moral debate over cloning. South Korean scientists say they've taken a major step forward in cloning human embryos for medical and research purposes. But their work is reigniting a long-running debate.
CNN's Sohn Jie-Ae reports from Seoul.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SOHN JIE-AE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): South Korean researchers report that they have created human embryos through cloning. Not for the purpose of making babies, but to create stem cells for scientific research.
HWANG YOON-YOUNG, HANYANG UNIVERSITY (through translator): Our research team has successfully culled stem cells from a cloned human embryo through mature growing process in a test tube.
SOHN: The researchers took an egg from a Korean woman, removed all the material from that egg, then injected DNA from another cell from the same woman with a chemical bath. They made this egg divide and turn into a blastocyst, an early stage embryo.
After a few days, stem cells were formed and scientists were able to remove them from the embryo and transfer them to a petri dish. Removing the stem cells destroys the embryo.
The findings by a team of researchers led by a Dr. Hwang Woo Suk of Seoul National University represented to South Korean scientists and published worldwide Thursday in the U.S. journal Science. The technique, scientists say, was not designed to clone humans but to advance the understanding of the process known as therapeutic cloning, which could lead to treatment of diseases like diabetes and Parkinson's Disease. Nevertheless, the report is sure to spark a renewal of the debate over whether all forms of human cloning should be banned.
YOON-YOUNG (through translator): The result of our research proves it is possible scientifically for human cloning. And we are likely to revive the controversy over human cloning.
SOHN: And scientists also caution it will take years of further research before stem cell science turns into actual therapies.
Sohn Jie-Ae, CNN, Seoul.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: All right, well, we mentioned the ethical questions. And joining us now to discuss some of those, medical correspondent Holly Firfer. We've been talking about this all morning.
All right, first let's lay out the controversy over creating human embryos.
HOLLY FIRFER, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Big controversy, because, basically, what they've done are pretty much the same steps that are needed to clone a human being. That's got a lot of people up in arms.
Had they not removed the stem cells and implanted the embryo in a woman's uterus, that embryo very like could have become a cloned human. They successfully used that process to create Dolly the cloned sheep. You remember her.
Now, that is why Korean scientists are very careful to say, this research, this is for therapeutic purposes only. And most scientists worldwide would agree that this procedure should not be used for making human beings, but for studying disease and creating therapies and possibly creating cures.
But it has reignited the debate over cloning and what is considered a human life. And that's when you get into religious and political arguments over what constitutes a life. Is it the embryo itself, even in a petri dish? Or is it when it's implanted and attaches to the uterus? And beyond those issues, the medical issues, we know cloned animals have had some health problems and those concerns remain.
How healthy would a cloned human really be? So, sometimes, some of this research brings up more questions than answers. But there's a lot of people talking about both sides of that.
PHILLIPS: Now let's remind folks where cloning stands here in the U.S.
FIRFER: Well, right now, there is a ban against research on human embryo cloning in the United States.
In 2001, President Bush decided that institutions that receive federal funds for stem cell research could continue work only on already existing cell lines. At that time, there was thought to be between 70 and 80 stem cell lines that were viable, basically, 70 to 80 options to create stem cells to work with to develop possible treatments, cures and study diseases with.
But only 15 of those lines are now listed on the NIH's Web site as viable options for research. Now, last year, the House passed a ban -- a bill banning all human cloning experiments. That bill is sitting in front of the Senate right now. And those who support the ban say it is immoral and dangerous. On the other side of the coin, some say it's wrong to prevent research that might produce cures for diseases like diabetes and Alzheimer's and spinal cord injuries. Now, most scientists agree that cloning humans is ethically unacceptable and this procedure should be used for therapeutic reasons only.
PHILLIPS: So herein lies why the research goes to places like South Korea.
FIRFER: Exactly. That's exactly it. Many scientists are going overseas, where there are no bans, so that they can continue that research.
For instance, Britain has banned reproductive cloning, but allows research on therapeutic cloning. Their law says, an embryo created for research must be used or destroyed within two weeks to prevent anyone from creating a cloned human.
In December, the United Nations delayed their decision on whether to ban cloning for at least a year, so they can weigh the options of whether to allow this kind of research or ban parts of it or ban it completely. The U.S. is urging the U.N. for a complete ban. And just a short while ago, the South Korean scientists who did this research, they discussed it and they themselves called for a ban of human cloning worldwide.
So even they say, we shouldn't be creating human babies. We should use this for therapeutic, to find cures for diseases and treatments and prevent diseases and that's it.
PHILLIPS: Thank you, Holly.
FIRFER: Sure.
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 - 15:04 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Another story that we're watching closely today, the medical and moral debate over cloning. South Korean scientists say they've taken a major step forward in cloning human embryos for medical and research purposes. But their work is reigniting a long-running debate.
CNN's Sohn Jie-Ae reports from Seoul.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SOHN JIE-AE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): South Korean researchers report that they have created human embryos through cloning. Not for the purpose of making babies, but to create stem cells for scientific research.
HWANG YOON-YOUNG, HANYANG UNIVERSITY (through translator): Our research team has successfully culled stem cells from a cloned human embryo through mature growing process in a test tube.
SOHN: The researchers took an egg from a Korean woman, removed all the material from that egg, then injected DNA from another cell from the same woman with a chemical bath. They made this egg divide and turn into a blastocyst, an early stage embryo.
After a few days, stem cells were formed and scientists were able to remove them from the embryo and transfer them to a petri dish. Removing the stem cells destroys the embryo.
The findings by a team of researchers led by a Dr. Hwang Woo Suk of Seoul National University represented to South Korean scientists and published worldwide Thursday in the U.S. journal Science. The technique, scientists say, was not designed to clone humans but to advance the understanding of the process known as therapeutic cloning, which could lead to treatment of diseases like diabetes and Parkinson's Disease. Nevertheless, the report is sure to spark a renewal of the debate over whether all forms of human cloning should be banned.
YOON-YOUNG (through translator): The result of our research proves it is possible scientifically for human cloning. And we are likely to revive the controversy over human cloning.
SOHN: And scientists also caution it will take years of further research before stem cell science turns into actual therapies.
Sohn Jie-Ae, CNN, Seoul.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: All right, well, we mentioned the ethical questions. And joining us now to discuss some of those, medical correspondent Holly Firfer. We've been talking about this all morning.
All right, first let's lay out the controversy over creating human embryos.
HOLLY FIRFER, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Big controversy, because, basically, what they've done are pretty much the same steps that are needed to clone a human being. That's got a lot of people up in arms.
Had they not removed the stem cells and implanted the embryo in a woman's uterus, that embryo very like could have become a cloned human. They successfully used that process to create Dolly the cloned sheep. You remember her.
Now, that is why Korean scientists are very careful to say, this research, this is for therapeutic purposes only. And most scientists worldwide would agree that this procedure should not be used for making human beings, but for studying disease and creating therapies and possibly creating cures.
But it has reignited the debate over cloning and what is considered a human life. And that's when you get into religious and political arguments over what constitutes a life. Is it the embryo itself, even in a petri dish? Or is it when it's implanted and attaches to the uterus? And beyond those issues, the medical issues, we know cloned animals have had some health problems and those concerns remain.
How healthy would a cloned human really be? So, sometimes, some of this research brings up more questions than answers. But there's a lot of people talking about both sides of that.
PHILLIPS: Now let's remind folks where cloning stands here in the U.S.
FIRFER: Well, right now, there is a ban against research on human embryo cloning in the United States.
In 2001, President Bush decided that institutions that receive federal funds for stem cell research could continue work only on already existing cell lines. At that time, there was thought to be between 70 and 80 stem cell lines that were viable, basically, 70 to 80 options to create stem cells to work with to develop possible treatments, cures and study diseases with.
But only 15 of those lines are now listed on the NIH's Web site as viable options for research. Now, last year, the House passed a ban -- a bill banning all human cloning experiments. That bill is sitting in front of the Senate right now. And those who support the ban say it is immoral and dangerous. On the other side of the coin, some say it's wrong to prevent research that might produce cures for diseases like diabetes and Alzheimer's and spinal cord injuries. Now, most scientists agree that cloning humans is ethically unacceptable and this procedure should be used for therapeutic reasons only.
PHILLIPS: So herein lies why the research goes to places like South Korea.
FIRFER: Exactly. That's exactly it. Many scientists are going overseas, where there are no bans, so that they can continue that research.
For instance, Britain has banned reproductive cloning, but allows research on therapeutic cloning. Their law says, an embryo created for research must be used or destroyed within two weeks to prevent anyone from creating a cloned human.
In December, the United Nations delayed their decision on whether to ban cloning for at least a year, so they can weigh the options of whether to allow this kind of research or ban parts of it or ban it completely. The U.S. is urging the U.N. for a complete ban. And just a short while ago, the South Korean scientists who did this research, they discussed it and they themselves called for a ban of human cloning worldwide.
So even they say, we shouldn't be creating human babies. We should use this for therapeutic, to find cures for diseases and treatments and prevent diseases and that's it.
PHILLIPS: Thank you, Holly.
FIRFER: Sure.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
