Control cloning, yes

Scientists around the world are racing toward the moment when human cloning is not just thinkable, but totally doable. Despite new calls from alarmed federal law-makers, there is no way to stop the science. And despite the concerns of everyone else, there's not yet any need to.

To be sure, the current alarms over human cloning -- conditioned as much by fiction as by fact -- resonate deeply. Members of Congress now want to ban federal funding of human cloning research. and some, following the lead of several European nations, want to outlaw such research entirely.

But there's a better way to handle the matter, and it's already been tested. In the early 1970s, breakthroughs in genetic engineering sparked similar uneasiness among lawmakers, consumers and scientists. They worried that the newly developed ability to move genetic material between species might produce mutant lifeforms and deadly new pathogens.

None of those fears came true, and today we enjoy the benefits of genetic engineering in everything from tomatoes to insulin. That's because instead of overreacting, lawmakers and the scientific establishment created a federal advisory panel to establish biosafety standards and review applications for new experiments. The public was reassured and the science marched on.

That model can work today, with similar benefits. A federal panel would allow regulators to help modulate the pace and direction of cloning research. And it would provide the context for continuing public debate. For example, some scientists oppose cloning research on human embryos, but not on clusters of human cells before they form an embryo. That's a super-fine line, and it needs to be thoroughly discussed before the nation takes sides.

Also, such engagement gives American consumers a first-look at any new medical benefits that the research produces. Among the hoped-for outcomes -- new organs for needy transplant patients.

Finally, the regulatory process can be left flexible. If new hazards -- biological or ethical -- are discovered, then the regulations can be tightened. But if our fears are unwarranted, they can be eased.

On the other hand, if human cloning research is outlawed, it will merely be driven offshore. And if it is denied funds, it will be driven entirely into the hands of commercial laboratories. Either way, the science marches on -- to the beat of someone else's drum.

So far, federal lawmakers have had a busy year legislating medical options. They have debated hospital stays, diagnostic techniques and procedures. Now, some want to outlaw an entire field of medical opportunity. They warn about scientists who play God. The real threat, though is posed by lawmakers who play doctor.

-- USA Today, Hong Kong