Bill Clinton halted human cloning research after Dolly breakthrough

Former U.S. President Bill Clinton, in 1997, halted research on human cloning. Meanwhile, the United States Congress considered passing legislation to ban human cloning.

The possibility of human cloning emerged when Scottish scientists at the Roslin Institute created the widely publicized sheep “Dolly” (genotype 385, 810–13, 1997), which sparked global interest and concern due to its scientific and ethical implications, CE Report quotes Kosova Press.

Described by Science magazine as the “1997 revolution,” Dolly also created uncertainty around the meaning of “cloning”—a term traditionally used by scientists to describe various processes for duplicating biological material.

Physicians from the American Medical Association and scientists from the American Association for the Advancement of Science have issued formal public statements opposing human reproductive cloning. Congress has also considered passing legislation to ban human cloning.

Due to the inefficiency of animal cloning—only one or two live offspring per 100 experiments—and the limited understanding of reproductive cloning, many scientists and physicians strongly argue that attempting to clone humans would be unethical.

Not only do most mammal cloning attempts fail, but around 30% of live-born clones suffer from “large offspring syndrome” and other debilitating conditions. Many cloned animals die prematurely from infections or other complications. The same problems are expected in human cloning.

Furthermore, scientists do not know how cloning would affect mental development. While intelligence and emotional health may not be crucial for a cow or a mouse, they are critical for healthy human development.

With so many unknowns in reproductive cloning, attempting to clone a human is currently considered highly dangerous and ethically irresponsible.