Should scientists continue to clone animals?

Researchers in the UK have uncovered new evidence of the impact of cloning on healthy animals.

Scientists in Cambridge found that the process of creating an animal clone damages the genetic mechanisms that enable an animal to develop normally.

Many leading cloning scientists are becoming increasingly concerned that this damage may cause the animals to age prematurely.

The warning comes after Italian scientists announced they have succeeded in creating the world's first horse clone.

Should scientists continue to clone animals, despite renewed warnings of its damaging effects?

This debate is now closed. Read a selection of your comments below.

---

The following comments reflect the balance of opinion we have received:

Nature invented cloning Kevin Saxon, UK

Everyone keeps going on about how cloning is against nature. Nature invented cloning. Bacteria, viruses, certain types of worm and animals procreate by cloning themselves. Even your cells clone themselves. The type of cloning people seem to be against is cloning for its own sake. Unfortunately there's only so much you can learn from cloning single cells.
Kevin Saxon, UK

How can we consider ourselves an intelligent species after this?
Ton Franklin, UK

Surely if we are, as a species going to clone and experiment then we should have the guts to do it to ourselves and leave the poor animals alone. Let's face it we can't replace all the countless ones that we have driven to extinction.
Cameron, UK

To all the people who object to cloning because of fears of creating "mutated beasts" of some sort - get real! You've been watching too much TV and reading too much horror fiction. We're talking respectable scientists here, not Frankenstein.
Chris Melville, UK

Unfortunately it's here and in the end there is going to be no regulating and controlling it. Money and results will dictate its progress. It will of course have all the hypocricy of weapons of mass destrucution certain countries will be allowed to clone for "research" purposes but others not. I would rather see environments saved than animals recreated from tissue samples. I am personally a great fan of the gene pool and all the good and bad that comes from it.
Marc, Singapore

There are worse practices already going on in the world Michael Wallace, Scotland

First of all, cloning is inevitably going to continue and most likely humans will be cloned in the future. I believe they will continue to clone until they have ironed out the flaws, and yes many will be horrified at the idea of innocent animals going through hell at the extent of 'progress' (which of course allows your good selves and I to type this). However there are worse practices already going on in the world like 9 year old Phillipino kids working their fingers to the bones for 12 cents an hour to make sports equipment. Who knows what other technologies cloning may lead to in the future, technologies that could be very benificial to us. It is our duty, no our very instinct as humans to learn, discover and progress and cloning is just another step (all be it a slightly akward one) on the never ending ladder.
Michael Wallace, Scotland

Only to research into cures. The cloning for financial gain like race horses etc. is exposing an aspect of our human nature that is quite disgusting.
Robert, UK

Unfortunately, or should I say fortunately, most don't hear about or see the horribly disfigured animals that are thrown out like a failed "recipe." The clones that are so proudly displayed by scientists in the news are not the first products. What will they do with the human clones that don't come out right the first time?
Monica, Dallas, Texas USA

Why not? What´s the ethical problem? We are killing millions of unborn babies in the world each year and now we are going to be concerned about experiments with animals? Humanity is guided by relativism and positivism where is no place to global ethics.
Ignacio, Spain

Cloning won't be stopped¿ it's like exploring outer space. But control measures have to be figured out with input from the rest of us or the scientists could run wild. Another worry for this wonderful Earth!
Meg, USA

Yes, we should continue to clone for science research if we can save species that are becoming extinct because of man. But cloning should not be used as a new form of reproduction. Nature has provided a way where each new generation can evolve, to hopefully be better suited to a changing world. The average person's height, and IQ has risen since man first walked the earth. If we clone to reproduce humans will no longer evolve, there will not be someone faster, stronger, or smarter from cloning, but just copies of us.
Alex, USA

It should continue not only in animals but also on humans. Like it or not, in the future cloning is going to be as common as a woman being pregnant.
Amanuel, Ethiopia

Cloning is just another step in the effort to find cures for diseases Eldon, Canada

I believe cloning is just another step in the effort to find cures for diseases. Unfortunately, it will most likely be uses for non-essential and personal purposes. People must be aware that the danger of cloning is not the act itself but the motivation behind the act.
Eldon, Canada

Not wanting to continue animal cloning research because of early problems (this technology is in its infancy) is comparable to abandoning flight aviation because of early crashes and problems. Just as with airplanes, cloning/genetics research will improve with time.
Brian Mulligan, USA

Of course they shouldn't. It's ethically bizarre. It's like having sex with your mother. A disgusting thing to do!
Rune Nakken, Norway

To quote a famous scientist: "Of course we do not know what we are doing, that's why they call it research!". Cloning animals may seem to have no obvious immediate benefit, but it's about learning of how cells clone/mutate, etc. The more you know about it, the better the chances for other discoveries in the field of biology. Which, at that point, could actually yield useful results. Cloning a horse per se may appear as a useless, even wasteful act, but so were the first autopsies - look how far medical science had come since then!
Vlad, Canada

I cannot see any rational or moral justification for cloning anybody at all. What I can see, as many do, is the privileged "parts" growing for very rich "football players" who earner unreasonable money and thought they were something special. Worms will eat them too sooner or later. The research money would be much better used for developing medicines for living or even artificial organs to extend life. Cloning is just such a waste of research minds and resources.
Miklos Nomad, Hungary

Cloning, indeed, needs to be banned completely. I mean.. Can you imagine millions of Blairs and Bushys running all over the place?. Ergh!
Bill Timpson, UK

The majority of scientists are acutely aware of the ethical and moral dilemmas of this sort of work Issy, UK

I get the impression that scientists are widely regarded as strange little people who sit it dingy little labs all day and like nothing better than to 'play God' and wreak havoc on an unsuspecting world. However, from personal experience this is not the case. The majority of scientists are regular people with families and are acutely aware of the ethical and moral dilemmas of this sort of work. Molecular cloning, for example in bacteria, has been commonplace in most biological research labs for decades. The desire to clone in mammals stems from transgenic technology which seeks to produce drugs for the benefit of the sick, not, as some people obviously think, in some kind of Frankenstinesk mimicry.
Issy, UK

I don't think cloning should go on. It's cruel and immoral; with no benefits accept the fame it brings to a handful of people locked inside a lab. As a biologist I think some scientists are going too far. We should not "mess" with nature in such a fundamental way; instead we should put our efforts in preserving what's left of the environment around us.
Ina, England

I wish people would turn their attentions to issues like factory farming and industrialised fishing. In terms of animal welfare and environmental catastrophe, these issues make cloning seem almost irrelevant.
Jon E, France

Science, like fire, is a good servant but a terrible master!! Alex Skryabine, UK

The principle that sentient living creatures which experience pain, fear and suffering in much the same way as ourselves can be used as mere lumps of biological material in vivisection laboratories is one that demeans humanity and will inevitably lead to disaster. Cloning is a natural extension of this obscenity. Scientist not politicians are the true masters of spin, and it is always easy to dupe an ignorant selfish public into thinking that it is in their interests to acquiesce to any obscenity they choose to perpetrate. Science, like fire is a good servant but a terrible master!!
Alex Skryabine, UK

I think that people put themselves above God, this doesn't only affect people's views on life but it also destroys the perfect world we are born in. I totally disagree with any type of cloning, because we are not the masters of the universe, but we are here to protect it.
Vestali Diana, Romania

Inevitably, we will come to a point when the issue of human cloning must be decided upon. This raises many ethical problems. For instance, do I have a right to clone someone from my own DNA? Who owns DNA?
Dan Brett, Essex, UK

No, no, no. We should NOT get used to the idea that cloning is OK. It is utterly wrong to clone any animal or human for any reason. Morally, ethically and physically. We should not be playing God like this and if we do we should expect to reap problems that will come with it. Problems that we cannot expect to have so much control over. I cannot help but get more and more distressed every time a cloning news item appears on the TV or radio. It should never be accepted by society as a way out of medical problems, let alone creating champion horses for the gratification of the human desire to gamble. It is simply not right.
Katherine, Herts. UK

We're standing on the cusp of a revolutionary new technology. We can't 'disinvent' it, and we can't put the genie back into the bottle. Even if legislations were placed against cloning research, it would still continue either in secret or in parts of the world where it was legal. The most sensible course of action would be to set up some sort of government watchdog agency to govern over this and affiliated technologies, with open reporting, and either a philanthropic or purely investigative agenda. Ignorance cannot "save" us from this "playing god"; it can only leave us unprepared for a time when others exploit it.
Rikk, UK

No animal should be allowed to suffer unnecessarily what ever the origin of its birth Joe, UK

Objections to cloning on religious belief and claims of playing God should be rejected out of hand. Cloning itself is neither inherently evil or good and such language is meaningless. Animal welfare and animal welfare alone should be the driving consideration. No animal should be allowed to suffer unnecessarily what ever the origin of its birth. This is what needs addressing. God has no place in this debate.
Joe, UK

Why are scientists cloning animals? For the betterment of medical research? Most serious, incurable illnesses could be avoided with the correct lifestyle choice. Many cancers could be avoided by removing poisons such as tobacco, alcohol, drugs and poor diets from our lives. Infectious STDs could be completely eliminated over time by taking the correct precautions during sex. It's about time we, as humans, started taking responsibility for our own health instead of relying on miracle 'cure all' drugs born from the inhumane treatment of defenceless animals.
Rich, UK

What benefit does cloning bring? We have cloned animals of which there is no shortage. Even animals near extinction are merely succumbing to natural selection. Only the terminally vain or morally ambiguous super rich could afford clones of themselves and to what end? Either to inflict a copy of themselves on another generation, or to grow spare parts for themselves as their hedonistic lifestyles take their toll. Each idea is repugnant, so quite frankly why bother?
Karen, UK

The technology that was developed by the Roslin Institute to clone Dolly was really part of a wider vision in using animals to produce pharmaceuticals that are impossible, dangerous or very expensive to produce any other way. These animals are very expensive to create, and when bred conventionally may lose the ability to produce high levels of the desired protein. By cloning these animals, the resultant animals can also produce the same pharmaceutical, and will overall increase the availability of these rare drugs. I agree that it's not ethical to clone for "sentimental" or purely commercial gain (such as cloning racehorses), but surely medical science is an exception?
Alison, Leeds, UK

We have no real conception of the risks Katherine, UK

The trouble with weighing up the benefits against the risks, which sounds like a reasonable line to take, is that we have no real conception of the risks, or how likely any of them are. We are trying to walk before we can run. Despite what various news reports about 'mapping the genome' would have you believe, we are at the beginning of understanding genes and DNA, not the end. That's my gripe with GM food as well (apart from the fact that it's entirely in the hands of unaccountable corporations) - we do not know what we are getting ourselves in for and the consequences could be awful. Let's learn more about genetics in the lab and through responsible research, rather than engaging in unseemly competitions as to who can produce the first sheep, cow, horse, duckbilled platypus.
Katherine, UK

I can see no benefit from this. They're doing it "because they can". Leave God's creation alone, get on with something useful.
Phil, UK

The only way I will ever support cloning is, if it is used to stop an animal from becoming extinct because of human intervention via hunting, pollution or us destroying their natural habitat. Such as the many different whale and shark species, the Giant Panda, Black Rhino and the White Bengal Tiger with only 200 left alive face extinction. Cloning "race horses" is pointless.
Mark, Nottingham, England

Clearly, there is a lot of misunderstanding on the subject of cloning. People coin phrases such as "playing god" etc, although they clearly have no idea what cloning constitutes. Just because the foal has different markings to its mother does not mean it is not identical. I Imagine if you cloned from a three legged horse: the offspring would have four legs. The odds of a "monster" being created are infinitesimal, and I would suggest people have been watching too many horror movies. This practice should be allowed to continue, simply because the work is pioneering. in fifty years' time, it will have been honed down to an art and we, as a species, will be able to accomplish a large number of currently impossible goals. How about curing world hunger? Clearing third world debt? GM crops are the way forward.
Anon, England

There should be much stricter controls on who does research Katherine, United States

Cloning may have long-term medical advantages but there should be much stricter controls on who does research and the ethics involved. If we don't allow the scientific public to have access to the smallpox vaccine, then something as critical as cloning should be restricted also.
Katherine, United States

Like anything that has huge impact on society and the human race, there are always those that will want to use it for some form of personal/criminal/evil purpose. What we need to do is to weigh up the pros and cons based on benefits to human kind against possible exploitative usage. Personally I think its a good thing so long as it is subjected to strict international administration and licensing.
MS, London, UK

Scientists are not playing God, they are playing scientists, doing what they have been trained to do - experiment. 'Crazily deformed and mutated animals' can and do occur naturally Jo in the UK. When cloning technology has been perfected there may be the ability to prevent such things happening. I do not expect my one remaining kidney to last as long as the rest of me, so I would gladly welcome a cloned replacement. It is beyond me why human cloning is so widely frowned upon!
Chris, UK

Research gathered today, will ultimately help gain insight for tomorrow. Our greatest asset in evolution is our ability to understand the laws of our universe. We must explore every corner. Cloning is no different. The research could ultimately help us survive and adapt to our rapidly changing environment.
Amit Chandel, Canada

Why can't we just let nature do its job? Could the horse not give birth naturally? We have enough issues on the planet as it is. Use the resources to find natural solutions to simple problems like food and water shortage. After all, would the benefits of cloning not benefit only the rich?
Eric, UK

There IS a place for this sort of technology. Future generations could reap marvellous medicinal benefits from the research being done today. Not so long ago, human autopsy was the work of the devil. Such thoughts today are laughed upon as ignorant hysteria. In a few decades time, calling cloning an "abomination" and saying that it is trying to "play God" will be laughed at it much the same way I think. Every time mankind tries to take a step forward, there are those who would try to take a step backwards. Where would we be today if we listened to these people? Would we even have invented the wheel?
Gareth Rippingale, UK

Unfortunately the debate on cloning is to easily hijacked by phrases such as "playing god" or "animal rights. We should be having a rational debate as to whether research in this area can improve the lot of humanity. Sadly it seems that some people are too easily swayed by misguided emotion rather than logical argument.
Alex H, Scotland

How can man match in a few years what nature has taken a few million years to master? Isn't nature good enough to provide what we want? Man himself is a product of the on-going experiment by nature. Let us not interfere with nature's experiments. So, to answer the question, no we should never have started cloning in the first place.
Mahesh, USA

To give up on cloning now would be criminal Martin, England

Of course scientists should continue with cloning research. This is a problem that can be worked on and overcome. Imagine if early pioneers had given up on powered flight because the first few flights failed, engineers had given up on mobile phones because the first batteries only lasted 10 minutes. It's only through time, investment and research that mankind advances and to give up on cloning technology now would be criminal.
Martin, England

To Martin from England: We are not talking about aeroplanes and mobile phones, but sentient beings. What good can possibly come from yet another assault on other species, treating them as nothing more than a pick'n'mix shop of cells? The trouble with science is that it seeks solutions to those smaller problems without considering what the wider consequences of those solutions are.
Lisa, UK

Am I the only one to notice that this foal is not identical to the mare from which she was cloned? Genetically she may be identical but her head markings certainly aren't. Cloning to prove it 'can be done' should not be allowed. We do not know what damage it will cause down the line, or if indeed the cloned animal is suffering in anyway. To create 100+ clones to 'allow' one to survive is immoral.
SG, UK

Considering the lifespan of Dolly the Sheep, I question the motivation of scientists pursuing these experiments. Not to mention the pathetic excuse with regards to reproducing great race horses. How many Red Rums, Arkles and Shergars do we need? One of each made us dream one day, let's leave it at that.
DJ, Switzerland

I fail to see how cloning animals can benefit mankind Katherine Boon, England

I fail to see the relevance of how cloning animals can benefit mankind. Animals have different biological structures and any tampering with nature without the consent of the being has to be stopped. I fully appreciate there could be medical advancements if cloning were introduced but until ethical consequences are explored this should not be allowed to continue without strict and detailed legislation.
Katherine Boon, England

This is a clear example of scientists playing God which they have no right to do. They shouldn't be allowed to genetically modify food and they shouldn't be allowed to clone anything. It doesn't matter that they've now found it can harm the animals - it shouldn't have been allowed from the beginning. How long is it before things start to go seriously wrong and we create some crazily deformed and mutated animal breed?
Jo, UK

Jo from the UK seems to have some strange ideas. We've been genetically modifying food for thousands of years - Wheat, for instance, has never existed in the wild - it is an entirely man-made creation based on cross-breeding techniques. No cloning? What about the many species of animal (including the humble Greenfly) that have successfully been reproducing by cloning themselves for millions of years? There is no black and white here - only shades of grey. We should look to Philosophers and Law Makers to set boundaries and frameworks, not Scientists.
john, England

John, England - breeding is not the same as genetic modification, breeding is selecting the best naturally created plants and making more of them, don't you realise this?
Anon, UK

It all depends on how much benefit there is from this kind of research. If the benefits outweigh the risks, then cloning should carry on.
John Sterianos, South Africa/UK