Steering our own evolution

"Healthy and viable mice that survive until adulthood have, for the
first time, been cloned from adult stem cells. Scientists from
Rockefeller University, including Howard Hughes Medical Institute
investigator Elaine Fuchs, used cells called keratinocyte [skin] stem
cells, which represent a new model system for cloning." Proceedings of
the National Academy of Sciences (12 February 2007)

From today onwards we now know that it is only a matter of time before
a rich individual or a political dictator gets himself or herself
cloned -- whatever governments, national or international, may say. As
one of the researchers says elsewhere: "All it would involve . . . is
an unfertilized oocyte [a donated egg with stripped-out DNA] , a skin
biopsy, and a tissue culture dish."

As also mentioned, it is true that: "We don't have the capability of
generating human embryonic stem cells from skin cells" but this is
admitted to be only temporary. It is a matter of knowing how to look
for skin stem cells and crop them efficiently rather than their lack
of existence. This will, of course, be pursued vigorously anyway, not
so much with human cloning in view but because the same route will be
needed to produce viable replacement organs for those who need them.
It is also true that, in the case of mice, only a small proportion of
those stem cells injected into eggs proceed without hiccup. This may
well be the case with humans but, even so, natural fertilisation is
always a chancy process with a very high early rejection rate and this
will not inhibit either whole body cloning or specialised organ
development even if most stem cells have to be thrown away at some
stage.

However, even when human cloning is carried out surreptiously by
individuals for vanity reasons -- even if possibly en masse -- then it
will have no more significance than the existence of identical twins
-- clones that are produced naturally. Although each twin starts out
with an identical set of genes, the slightly different environment
that each experiences in childhood and teenagerhood, not to mention
adulthood with (usually) different marriage partners and jobs, means
that the expression of their genes steadily diverges -- and thus their
personalities. They may maintain rather similar characteristics for
the rest of their lives -- such as intelligence or susceptibility to
certain diseases -- but, by and large, the two twins lead quite
separate lives with quite different ultimate tastes, beliefs and
abilities. The idea that a future Hitler or Stalin can produce an
identical adult copy of himself with identical future behaviour is
pure fairyland.

As a result of this latest research, there will be a rash of new
ethics committees and official governmental enquiries all round the
world and those that exist already will no doubt re-concentrate their
minds to make their rules as foolproof as possible. But the fact of
the matter is that the development of the genomic sciences is
proceeding faster than officialdom can check. There will always be
errant individuals and errant scientists -- that is, if you wish to
look at it this way. Another way is to say that the general public is
by far the best jury on matters of basic human instincts and on this,
as all similar matters in the past -- such as birth control, abortion,
etc -- the customer will always over-rule the "Nannies who know best",
both religious and governmental.

And this will apply to what I think will be the most significant of
all the many genetic developments. This is the voluntary choice of the
better-off, or the more intelligent, parents-to-be as to the choice of
DNA of their potential partners or, if already hitched, in the
selection of foetuses via IVF-- at the very least to avoid the expense
of raising defective children. For good or for ill, human beings are
now acquiring the ability to steer their own evolution.


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