Cloning monkeys for research is alarming

Re Scientists use the Dolly method to clone

monkeys, Jan. 25 Of the all the sad, sordid and dispiriting news in the papers this week, only one thing made me feel truly heart-sick.

The news that the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Shanghai has “overcome” the barrier of cloning primates and that “the goal is to create a lot of identical monkeys for use in medical research” shows just how low we humans have fallen as a species.

Those of us who have seen footage, or even still photos, of this type of research will not be celebrating this news. Rather, we will trying to erase the images of helpless, trembling primates cringing in fear as the researchers approach. Scott Kennedy, Toronto It was depressing to read about and see pictures of the terrified cloned female baby monkeys.

At a time when chimpanzees and great apes are being released from laboratories, we are still keeping their relatives hostage.

We should not force our cloning and reproductive views on animals. As a female, I feel this is a violation. Carrie Folk, Thornhill Most advances in science are greeted with acclaim and almost-unquestioned support, although a cautious review should be considered. There are many documented scientific advances that have harmed. Fortunately, the bad is far outweighed by the good.

But the cloning of monkeys is concerning and raises many questions. The ethical checks in China are often reported as being less rigorous than in most other scientific communities.

The creation of monkeys with genetic changes, apparently mimicking autism in this case, provides fodder for sciencefiction films far more scary than the present Planet of the Apes series. Although the journey to human cloning has a long way to go, this is one further step on the path.

Medical research is necessary and if animals must be used, then they should be treated as humanely as possible. Dennis Fitzgerald, Melbourne, Australia