Stem Cell Research and Cloning: Legal and Scientific Facts

UN Declarations on Stem Cells and Cloning

The UN Resolution adopted on 23 March 2005 states that practices contrary to human dignity, such as reproductive cloning, must be prohibited. It solemnly declares that:

• a) Member States shall take all necessary measures to adequately protect human life in the application of life sciences.
• b) Member States shall prohibit all forms of human cloning as they are incompatible with the protection of human dignity.
• c) Member States shall prohibit genetic engineering techniques that may be contrary to human dignity.

Biomedical Law in Spain

In Spain, the Biomedical Law passed in 2007 allows for therapeutic cloning and the obtaining of embryonic stem cells, provided they do not lead to the creation of an embryo for that purpose. Spain joined other countries that allow cloning for research, such as Belgium, Britain, Sweden, Japan, Israel, and Korea.

Mechanisms of Cloning

Cloning can occur through two primary mechanisms:

• Division of the embryo: Cells are separated from an embryo to obtain new identical or cloned embryos.
• Nuclear transfer: An individual clone is generated from a somatic cell without fertilization. A somatic cell is taken from the body to be cloned, and its nucleus is removed. This nucleus carries all the genetic information of the organism. Simultaneously, an egg from another organism of the same species has its nucleus removed. The somatic cell nucleus is introduced into the enucleated egg. The egg cell then begins to divide, forming an embryo that is implanted into the uterus of another organism to develop into a clone.

Applications of Cloning

Reproductive Cloning

The purpose of reproductive cloning is to create identical cloned individuals.

Therapeutic Cloning

The purpose of therapeutic cloning is to create embryonic stem cells for medical use. Its future clinical application could solve two major problems associated with transplantation: the shortage of donors and organ rejection, as a patient could be treated with their own tissue.