Transgenic and cloned
animals: Ethical
problems ?
Camara D.,
Dimitrova Ir.,
Doynova M.,
Jachacz L.,
Kachakova D.,
Kepka M.,
Ould Isselmou CB.,
Vorniere JP.,
Yungarva Tsv.,
Definitions and methods
Transgenesis:
Definition
A transgenic animal is an animal that has been genetically altered so that it will
produce a specific protein. Foreign DNA has been inserted into the animal’s
DNA so it will produce a protein it does not normally have.
Methods:
- isolation of a specific gene
- the gene is inserted into a plasmid and then replicated inside a bacteria
- isolation of the gene from the bacteria and creation a linear bit
of DNA
- foreign DNA can be inserted in a number of different ways.
Definitions and methods
Cloning:
Cloning is the process of making an identical copy of something. In biology, it
collectively refers to processes used to create copies of DNA fragments
(molecular cloning), cells (cell cloning), or organisms.
Reproductive cloning uses:
-"somatic cell nuclear transfer" (SCNT) to create animals that are
genetically identical.
This process entails the transfer of a nucleus from a donor adult cell
(somatic cell) to an egg which has no nucleus.
Applications:
Transgenesis:
There are several potential and actual applications of transgenic
animals :
a) in basic research;
b) as a source of organs for xenotransplantation;
c) as disease models;
d) in the production of therapeutic proteins (that is, as bioreactors);
e) in agriculture (for example, the manipulation of livestock
production traits);
f) for vaccine testing; and
g) in toxicity testing
Applications:
Cloning:
Possible aims of farm animal cloning:
a) research: deeper knowledge of certain biological processes in
the organism of animals;
b) pharming: to produce pharmaceuticals or donor organs in
animals;
c) farming: to ensure:
- quantitatively more products (e.g. more milk or more meat)
- a better quality
Dolly the Sheep
Dolly was the first mammal to have been successfully cloned from an adult cell.
Cloning Dolly the sheep had a low success rate per fertilized egg; she was born
after 277 eggs were used to create 29 embryos, which only produced three
lambs at birth, only one of which lived
• Consequences of Transgenesis for Animal
Welfare
Three factors that may negatively influence the health and welfare of
transgenic animals have been identified:
a) reproductive and other biotechnological interventions;
b) mutations;
c) expression of the transgene.
Should we make such animals?
- It is unethical and immoral to use humans for testing new therapeutic drugs,
that’s why disease model animals serve a strong benefit to society
• Consequences of Cloning for Animal Welfare
Invasive medical interventions. These are performed on donor animals — for
oocyte extraction — and on surrogate mothers. Oocyte extraction for pigs and
sheep is usually surgical, with all the accompanying stresses of recovery.
Suffering caused to surrogate mothers. Pregnancy is typically prolonged and
cloned calves and lambs may be 25 % heavier than normal. Higher birth weights
lead to painful births and often the need for caesarean section.
Abnormal foetal development and late pregnancy mortality, leading to
frequent death at various stages of development.
Postnatal mortality.
Health problems during life. Clones may have a greater propensity in later life
for respiratory problems and immune system deficiencies compared with normal
animals.
Inefficiency and wastage of life (this includes embryos, foetuses and mature
animals — these are killed as part of the procedures).
• Transgenic Ethic
•
Positiv aspects
•
Negativ aspects:
– Medical:
• Ex: desease models,
tranpharming models,
xenotransplanters
– Destroy the animal integrity
– “playing God”
– Scientific:
• Animals engineered to
overexpress a specific
protein to help to discover
protein function
– Food providing:
• Ex: Superfish
• Improvement by genes
– Loss of genetic diversity
– Environment hazard, animal
suffering..
– Who is really benefitting?
• Human species?
• Biotech investors?
• Religion and Ethics
Protestants, Catholic, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu and Buddhis
faiths have rejected animal cloning on ethical ground.
Jews and Christians are opposed to animal cruelty but…
- Animals are not considered as sacred as the human soul.
- Because they lack reason, animals may be reasonably used for
human benefit.
Hinduism and Buddhism consider animals as vital energetic
beings and they must be treated as such.
• Religion and Transgenic Ethics (rest)
• Muslim ethics are guided by the Qur’an and
hadith.
-The controlling concept is “tawhid” concept or the absolute unity of
God.
- whatever is not forbidden by God is allowed within the boundaries
of the Qur’an,
- animals may be used for the benefit of mankind. Islam welcomes
genetic engineering as it does all new discoveries that help ease
the suffering of humanity.
• Public Acceptability
Transgenesis :
Significant lack of public support for animal transgenesis :
•Nearly 50% of Europeans might not allow production and use of certain
forms of transgenic animals.
•Some believe, however, that scientists, as guardians of scientific
knowledge, possess the only correct view, while the public are ill-informed
or misled.
•Others argue that considerations within the scientific community are
considerably influenced by self-interest and professional loyalties. Some
argue that the application of transgenic technologies is incompatible with
the Three Rs concept.
•Other key ethical concepts about which the general public and scientists
often disagree are "naturalness", "integrity", and "intrinsic/inherent value"
• Public Acceptability (rest)
• For some people Cloning :
– Is unnatural,
– violates the realm of the Creator
– violates the animal’s integrity, dignity, sentience
capacity
63% of the American wouldn’t buy food from cloned
animals
In Europe, people think that other alternatives exist
to provide sufficient food
Some ethical questions ?
Am I cannibal if I eat some food from animal which
had been transplanted with a human gene?
Poland and Bulgaria: consuming food and milk from
transgenic animals is not cannibalism
- it doesn’t harm any human, doesn’t violate the human integrity.
France: a gene is a material,
- It has been lent to an animal which will use it himself.
- The animal has his own capacity to integrate this new material.
- Even if I am not cannibal, this process isn’t natural and it harms the
integrity of the animal.
Transgenic and cloned animals are monsters?
Poland and Bulgaria:
Bulgaria no,
- there is no effect on the humanity.
- If transgenesis is out of control we can say that animals are
monsters.
- Transgenic animals are not monsters but they can’t be
found naturally.
- Cloned animals look like the original so they are neither monster.
France: yes
- Transgenic animals are no longer natural.
- ex: a gene of growth will engender a bigger animal than we
usually see, and then it frightens people
- Cloned animals are a copy of nature
- no monsters
Transgenesis and cloned animal: Is there any
propagation risks? Are they a threat for
biodiversity?
• Poland: Transgenesis doesn’t threat biodiversity
- It increases biodiversity = animals have a new genome.
- But natural selection lasted a million years whereas selection by transgenesis
can last shorter.
- Cloning, = Bulgarian students.
• Bulgaria: Creating too many cloned animals reduces
biodiversity.
- Transgenic animals don’t threat biodiversity and they may increase it.
- Concerning propagation risks, maybe there are some risks that depend on animal
species.
• France: not at short term because of the possible creation of
new species but yes at long term.
- Indeed breeding in aquatic environment can be compared in terms of risks with the
field crops.
- intraspecific competition (Ex: perch of the Nile in Lake Victoria, Tanzania).
- No threat concerning cloning
Does animal suffering from cloning or
transgenesis exist?
• Poland: animals feel pain and suffer like humans.
– Scientists shouldn’t make experiments with dolphins and monkeys
because they have a lot of grey matter.
– Indeed, the more grey matter they have, the more they suffer.
• Bulgaria: Animals feel pain but nowadays,
– But scientists use anaesthetics and perhaps animals don’t suffer.
• France: sick animal suffers
– we produce tested animal just in order to introduce in it a disease
– Shorter life ex: dolly
– new gene reaction, handicap
Should we patent a living creature?
• Bulgaria: Yes,
– Patents are a way to increase incentive for creating transgenic
or cloned animals.
– The legislation behind transgenic animals helps to keep this new
technology from becoming an unethical source of scientific
study.
• Poland =Bulgarian point of view.
– But side the patents on transgenic animals may be a form of
control to spread them.
• France: A living creature belongs to nature but not to a
person (scientist) even if he has genetically modified it.
– Possible hazard for nature
– man should not patent a living creature
Is there any risk for the human being ?
• Poland: Now we can’t answer to this question but we
think that the future will answer…
• Bulgaria: Perhaps no risk but …
– more investigations must be done. May be there are some side
effects that can appear after long latent period.
• France: Yes,
– Any scientist doesn’t prove any safety in consuming meat or
milk from a transgenic animal
• man must be more cautious about them (transgenic product).
Will these methods be used on the
human being?
•
Poland: these methods won’t be used
– human cloning causes many ethical problems for many people.
– According to our religion, people are final act of God. It is not ethical to use people
like an experiment because everyone has an equal low to natural live and
happiness.
•
Bulgaria: Some methods are already used- especially in “in vitro fertilisation”.
– Maybe in the future science will develop so much that it will be able to create
human clone and maybe it will be able to cure some diseases by gene therapy.
– In spite of rules and laws, scientists will be curious and will try to make human
clones.
•
France: Of course,
– scientists are used to making their thinking on application whatever the
consequences will be.
– The real question is how to use it on human being so as to be a benefit for
humankind?
Discussion and
recommandations
• The use of animal must be responsible,
– If we are master of this world, we have to protect and to care
the animals and all other living creatures.
• Genetic engineering should be justified only if it permits
to save human life.
• Holly books is a reference for everybody who has a
religion.
– It had been written a long time before our generation.
– That’s why it is so difficult :
- To have universal goals for using nature resources,
- To know how to have a better treatment of the environment.
Discussion-Recommandations
(end)
• Breeding of transgenic and cloned animals must
be confined,
• To decrease our requirement :
– Socrates: a human being must drop some desires in order to
live successfully
– Aim: produce just enough food for mankind.
• A Latency period must be respected
– To ensure the liability of Genetic engineering
– To resist to the precipitation of Biotech investors
– To know the risks
• To define the ethical limits of genetic engineering
Conclusion
• Ethical point of view depends more on the individual
perception than on the country.
• We need to know better the risks of genetic engineering:
– Experimenting more and more,
– Making suffer more and more animals
= Contradiction
• Now it seems hard to return back
• Until where can be posed the ethical question? Does a
non limited ethic enable a sustainable life of human
being?