Genetics Policy Institute
Encyclopedia
The Genetics Policy Institute (GPI) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that educates the public and promotes supportive public policy for stem cell
research and other forms of cutting-edge medicine.
The institute was started in 2003 by Bernard Siegel
, its current executive director
, and is headquartered in Wellington, Florida
. GPI’s efforts are worldwide in scope, and its officers are prominent commentators in the U.S. and international media on scientific, ethical and public policy issues pertaining to stem cell research.
GPI’s stated mission is to serve patients who suffer from a wide range of currently incurable diseases and injuries and that stand to benefit from treatments being developed through stem cell research. Certain forms of stem cell research (embryonic stem cell research and nuclear transfer research) are considered controversial and are actively opposed by organized groups. GPI works to educate the public, lawmakers and the media about the potential of the research and the public health consequences of specific governmental policies. Its core activities include meetings and symposia that bring together world-renowned scientists, patients, activists, legal experts, bioethicists and human rights scholars, and public education initiatives, which include public lectures, books and articles, and media outreach.
Bernard Siegel, GPI’s founder, is best known as the attorney who filed the landmark 2002 case seeking a guardian for the world’s first alleged human clone, “Baby Eve.” In a Florida court, Siegel challenged the claims of Clonaid
, the supposed research lab of an organization called the Raëlian Movement
, that they had cloned a human baby. The credibility of the Raëlians’ claim was destroyed when they refused to produce the child or to allow DNA testing to establish its lineage. Subsequently, Siegel was drawn to the issue of cellular research cloning and its role in formulating cures based on stem cell research. He initially founded the Genetics Policy Institute to help establish a legal distinction between reproductive cloning (the cloning of a whole person) and therapeutic cloning (also called nuclear transfer), a technique for creating embryonic stem cells that are genetically matched to a patient. Since then, GPI has expanded its interests to include public policy issues related to all forms of stem cell research on the U.S. state, federal and worldwide levels.
In 2003, Siegel brought a group of internationally prominent stem cell research and cloning experts, including Ian Wilmut
, the Scottish scientist who cloned Dolly the sheep
, to New York for a meeting at the United Nations
. At the time, the U.N. was considering a worldwide treaty
, introduced by Costa Rica, to ban all forms of human cloning. During the meeting, “Human Cloning Issues in all its aspects,” the scientists unanimously called for a worldwide ban on human reproductive cloning because of the devastating health conditions observed in cloned animals. However, they appealed to the U.N. not to ban nuclear transfer research (therapeutic cloning), citing its importance in the development of stem cell-based cures.
In 2004, the Costa Rican treaty, which was strongly backed by the Bush administration, was formally introduced to the U.N. General Assembly. GPI played a prominent role in alerting the scientific, medical and patient advocacy
communities of the pending vote. It initiated a widespread, coordinated effort on the part of numerous organizations to educate delegates about the consequences of a blanket treaty to ban research cloning along with reproductive cloning. As a result, a vote on the Costa Rican treaty was postponed for two years in order to give delegates more time to consider the issue. The decision to postpone was carried by a margin of one vote.
Despite the two-year moratorium, the Costa Rican treaty was revisited in 2005. However, facing sustained objections from Great Britain and other nations, the U.S. administration abandoned its efforts to get a binding treaty passed. The U.N. General Assembly then voted on a nonbinding resolution, calling upon all nations to “prohibit all forms of human cloning inasmuch as they are incompatible with human dignity and the protection of human life.” The resolution passed, but it had no enforceable effect on worldwide research; instead, it leaves the decision of whether to allow nuclear transfer in stem cell research in the hands of individual nations.
Stem cell
This article is about the cell type. For the medical therapy, see Stem Cell TreatmentsStem cells are biological cells found in all multicellular organisms, that can divide and differentiate into diverse specialized cell types and can self-renew to produce more stem cells...
research and other forms of cutting-edge medicine.
The institute was started in 2003 by Bernard Siegel
Bernard Siegel
Bernard Siegel is the Executive Director of the nonprofit Genetics Policy Institute based in Wellington, Florida. A graduate of the University of Miami undergraduate and law, he is an attorney and member of the Florida Bar since 1975...
, its current executive director
Executive director
Executive director is a term sometimes applied to the chief executive officer or managing director of an organization, company, or corporation. It is widely used in North American non-profit organizations, though in recent decades many U.S. nonprofits have adopted the title "President/CEO"...
, and is headquartered in Wellington, Florida
Wellington, Florida
Wellington is a village in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. As of 2006, the village had a population of 55,584 according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Wellington is part of the South Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
. GPI’s efforts are worldwide in scope, and its officers are prominent commentators in the U.S. and international media on scientific, ethical and public policy issues pertaining to stem cell research.
GPI’s stated mission is to serve patients who suffer from a wide range of currently incurable diseases and injuries and that stand to benefit from treatments being developed through stem cell research. Certain forms of stem cell research (embryonic stem cell research and nuclear transfer research) are considered controversial and are actively opposed by organized groups. GPI works to educate the public, lawmakers and the media about the potential of the research and the public health consequences of specific governmental policies. Its core activities include meetings and symposia that bring together world-renowned scientists, patients, activists, legal experts, bioethicists and human rights scholars, and public education initiatives, which include public lectures, books and articles, and media outreach.
Bernard Siegel, GPI’s founder, is best known as the attorney who filed the landmark 2002 case seeking a guardian for the world’s first alleged human clone, “Baby Eve.” In a Florida court, Siegel challenged the claims of Clonaid
Clonaid
Clonaid is a human cloning company founded in 1997. It has philosophical ties with the Raëlian sect, which sees cloning as the first step in achieving immortality. On December 27, 2002, Clonaid's chief executive, Brigitte Boisselier, claimed that a baby clone, named Eve, was born. Media coverage of...
, the supposed research lab of an organization called the Raëlian Movement
Raëlism
Raëlism is a UFO religion that was founded in 1974 by Claude Vorilhon, now known as Raël.The Raëlian Movement teaches that life on Earth was scientifically created by a species of extraterrestrials, which they call the Elohim...
, that they had cloned a human baby. The credibility of the Raëlians’ claim was destroyed when they refused to produce the child or to allow DNA testing to establish its lineage. Subsequently, Siegel was drawn to the issue of cellular research cloning and its role in formulating cures based on stem cell research. He initially founded the Genetics Policy Institute to help establish a legal distinction between reproductive cloning (the cloning of a whole person) and therapeutic cloning (also called nuclear transfer), a technique for creating embryonic stem cells that are genetically matched to a patient. Since then, GPI has expanded its interests to include public policy issues related to all forms of stem cell research on the U.S. state, federal and worldwide levels.
In 2003, Siegel brought a group of internationally prominent stem cell research and cloning experts, including Ian Wilmut
Ian Wilmut
Sir Ian Wilmut, OBE FRS FMedSci FRSE is an English embryologist and is currently Director of the Medical Research Council Centre for Regenerative Medicine at the University of Edinburgh. He is best known as the leader of the research group that in 1996 first cloned a mammal from an adult somatic...
, the Scottish scientist who cloned Dolly the sheep
Dolly the Sheep
Dolly was a female domestic sheep, and the first mammal to be cloned from an adult somatic cell, using the process of nuclear transfer. She was cloned by Ian Wilmut, Keith Campbell and colleagues at the Roslin Institute near Edinburgh in Scotland...
, to New York for a meeting at the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
. At the time, the U.N. was considering a worldwide treaty
Treaty
A treaty is an express agreement under international law entered into by actors in international law, namely sovereign states and international organizations. A treaty may also be known as an agreement, protocol, covenant, convention or exchange of letters, among other terms...
, introduced by Costa Rica, to ban all forms of human cloning. During the meeting, “Human Cloning Issues in all its aspects,” the scientists unanimously called for a worldwide ban on human reproductive cloning because of the devastating health conditions observed in cloned animals. However, they appealed to the U.N. not to ban nuclear transfer research (therapeutic cloning), citing its importance in the development of stem cell-based cures.
In 2004, the Costa Rican treaty, which was strongly backed by the Bush administration, was formally introduced to the U.N. General Assembly. GPI played a prominent role in alerting the scientific, medical and patient advocacy
Patient advocacy
A Patient Advocate acts as a support structure and if legally contracted to do so may act as a liaison between a patient and their Health Care Provider. Most health care professionals see themselves as advocates for their patients, however their time and scope are limited by their job function...
communities of the pending vote. It initiated a widespread, coordinated effort on the part of numerous organizations to educate delegates about the consequences of a blanket treaty to ban research cloning along with reproductive cloning. As a result, a vote on the Costa Rican treaty was postponed for two years in order to give delegates more time to consider the issue. The decision to postpone was carried by a margin of one vote.
Despite the two-year moratorium, the Costa Rican treaty was revisited in 2005. However, facing sustained objections from Great Britain and other nations, the U.S. administration abandoned its efforts to get a binding treaty passed. The U.N. General Assembly then voted on a nonbinding resolution, calling upon all nations to “prohibit all forms of human cloning inasmuch as they are incompatible with human dignity and the protection of human life.” The resolution passed, but it had no enforceable effect on worldwide research; instead, it leaves the decision of whether to allow nuclear transfer in stem cell research in the hands of individual nations.