Dear Stan,

I appreciate your care in scrutinizing the wording of HR 534.  To be
sure, the devil is in the details.  The measure has indeed been
misleadingly formulated to make it look utterly harmless.  But in fact
it bans SCNT research (so-called "therapeutic cloning") -- and its
backers acknowledge that.

I think that what confuses people is this clause (which you refer to
below) in the House Judiciary legislation:

"(d) SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH- Nothing in this section restricts areas of
scientific research not specifically prohibited by this section,
including research in the use of nuclear transfer or other cloning
techniques to produce molecules, DNA, cells other than human embryos,
tissues, organs, plants, or animals other than humans."

Notice the restiction on what the legislation permits: "other than human
embryos."  "Embryo" is interpreted broadly by the bill's proponents to
include any egg into which a full genetic complement has been placed.

Hence the legislation does indeed rule out SCNT (somatic cell nuclear
transfer, also known as "therapeutic cloning"), although one might not
think so, even upon a careful reading.  "Nuclear transfer," in the above
statement, refers to taking a cell nucleus and transferring it to
another cell, but NOT to a human egg cell.  An SCNT-produced zygote --
an entity on a laboratory Petri dish that is invisible to naked eye and
that is used to generate stem cells -- is the "human embryo" that these
legislators wish to "protect".   My guess is that they know very little
about the science, and imagine a baby somehow encapsulated in that
zygote that they will -- as self-appointed good Samaritans -- protect at
any cost.

It is noteworthy that thoughtful Christian fundamentalists, like Senator
Orrin Hatch of Utah, strongly support therapeutic cloning research.

Thanks again, Stan, for your careful attention to this matter.

Raymond Barglow
****************

Stan Boswell wrote:
>
> I have read the attachment to my original msg, as well as the web page you
> cited, which gives the bill's text.  Although it seems clear to me that the
> bill does not prohibit therapeutic cloning, I'm not too comfortable that it
> can be interpretted otherwise by others.  I'll try to clarify my position as
> follows:
>
> Sec 301 defines "human cloning" as asexual reproduction involving the
> transfer of nuclear material.....'so as to produce a living organism..' which
> evidently means embryo.  This definition, then, does not address therapeutic
> cloning.
>
> Sec 301 defines "asexual reproduction" by relating it to oocyte and sperm
> reproduction, which clearly results in an embryo.  Again, therapeutic cloning
> is not addressed.
>
> Sec 302 (b) is quoted: "IMPORTATION- It shall be unlawful for any person or
> entity, public or private, knowingly to import for any purpose an embryo
> produced by human cloning or any product derived from such embryo."
>
> Sec 302 (d) is quoted: "(d) SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH- Nothing in this section
> restricts areas of scientific research not specifically prohibited by this
> section, including research in the use of nuclear transfer or other cloning
> techniques to produce molecules, DNA, cells other than human embryos,
> tissues, organs, plants, or animals other than humans."  This section clearly
> permits all the listed products, except human embryos or product derived
> therefrom.
>
> Thus, it appears that H.R. 534 does not prohibit therapeutic cloning.
>
> Please respond with a concurrence with, or a rebuttal to, my position per
> this msg.   I do not wish to mislead anyone on this very important -- even
> critical -- issue.
>
> Thanks.
>
> Stan Boswell
> PSGSanta Maria (CA)
>
> The following was extracted from the
> http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c108:H.R.534
>
> 1) HUMAN CLONING- The term `human cloning' means human asexual reproduction,
> accomplished by introducing nuclear material from one or more human somatic
> cells into a fertilized or unfertilized oocyte whose nuclear material has
> been removed or inactivated so as to produce a living organism (at any stage
> of development) that is genetically virtually identical to an existing or
> previously existing human organism.`(2) ASEXUAL REPRODUCTION- The term
> `asexual reproduction' means reproduction not initiated by the union of
> oocyte and sperm.`(3) SOMATIC CELL- The term `somatic cell' means a diploid
> cell (having a complete set of chromosomes) obtained or derived from a living
> or deceased human body at any stage of development
>
> In a message dated 2/21/2003 10:30:20 PM Pacific Standard Time,
> [log in to unmask] writes:
>
> > http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c108:H.R.534
>
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