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DUBAI - In future, human cloning for therapeutic purposes might be permissible in Islam if scholars know more about it, according to a senior geneticist.

DUBAI - In future, human cloning for therapeutic purposes might be permissible in Islam if scholars know more about it, according to a senior geneticist.

The issue should be looked at for therapeutic and research purposes, said Dr Aida Al Aqeel, senior consultant paediatric metabolist, geneticist and endocrinologist at the Riyadh Armed Forces Hospital and adjunct senior scientist at the King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, Saudi Arabia.

While delivering a lecture on “Human stem cell research in the developing world: state of the art” at the 5th Dubai International Conference for Medical Sciences on Wednesday, Dr Aida said, “Human cloning for therapeutic purposes might be a possibility in the Islamic world since you do not get an embryo in the end.”

She, however, said that from the religious and ethical points of view, consent is crucial before any experiment is carried out.

“Cloning for this purpose (therapeutic) takes place in the lab when you take a somatic (a non-sex cell) and remove the nucleus (also called somatic cell nuclear transfer),” she explained.

Dr Aida stressed that no type of cloning was currently allowed in Islam. “But since a cloned cell has the same immunity and genetic material as its main cell, therapeutic use may be beneficial to humans,” she pointed out. Dr Aida is also chairperson of sub-committees (ethics committee) at the Centre for Arab Genomics Studies in Dubai.

The expert said that ‘discarded embryos could also be put to good use. “Embryos discarded in the labs after procedures such as In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) could still be a viable source of stem cells,” she said.

The discarded embryos are not suitable for implantation, either because they are unable to divide or are genetically abnormal, but they still are a source of stem cells, she said, pointing to a future study.

At a glance

What are stem cells?

Stem Cells are found in almost all multicellular organisms (the living things which are made up of more than one cell). These cells have a remarkable potential to develop into many different cell types in the body. Serving as a sort of repair system for the body, they can theoretically divide without limit to replenish other cells as long as the organism is still alive.

What are embroyonic stem cells?

Embryonic stem cells are derived from embryos that develop from eggs that have been fertilized in the laboratory and then donated for research purposes with informed consent of the donors.

What is cloning?

Cloning is the creation of an organism that is an exact genetic copy of another. Identical twins are considered to be clones. It is possible to clone a human being using stem cells. In 1996, the scientists Roslin Institute in Edinburgh, Scotland successfully cloned a sheep called Dolly. Since then, many animals including dogs, bulls, and horses have been cloned.

The defects of cloning

Citing excerpts from her study “Islamic Ethics and Genetics” published in the Saudi Medical Journal 2005, Dr Aida Al Aqeel says, “Currently, the international community agrees that human cloning for reproductive reasons should not be attempted.

The rationale cites safety considerations in view of the many difficulties and defects reported in the cloning of animals. Others maintain that cloning might be ethically acceptable under certain conditions, for example, if it were the only way for couples with fertility difficulties or a genetic disorder to have a healthy genetically related child.

Prohibition of cloning for reproductive reasons is directed at prevention of the birth of children, who are genetic copies of already existing individuals. The Islamic Jurisprudence Council of the Organisation of Islamic Coutries in 1997 declared human cloning as:

Forbidden in any method that leads to human reproduction.

Forbidden in all cases to introduce a third party into marriage, be it an egg donor, a surrogate womb, a sperm donor, or a cloned cell.

Permissible to use genetic engineering and cloning in the fields of germs, micro-organisms, plants and animals, following legitimate rules which lead to benefits and prevent harm.

All Muslim countries are called upon to formulate the necessary legislation to prevent foreign research institutes, organisations and experts from directly or indirectly using Muslim countries for experimentation on human cloning or promoting it.

Specialised committees should be set up to look into the ethics of biological research and adopt protocols for study and research in Muslim countries. Biological and bio-engineering research institutions should be supported and established, according to the Islamic rulings.

asmaalizain@khaleejtimes.com