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By: Michaela Daniels, Lindsey Pion, Val Burke, and Salam Cacous
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Human cloning is the creation of a genetically
identical copy of a human. The term is
generally used to refer to artificial human
cloning, which is the reproduction of human
cells and tissue, and is not in medical practice
anywhere in the world.
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Somatic cell nuclear transfer begins
when doctors take the egg from a
female donor and remove its nucleus,
creating an enucleated egg.
A cell, which contains DNA, is taken
from the person who is being cloned.
Then the enucleated egg is fused
together with the cloning subject's cell
using electricity.
This creates an embryo, which is
implanted into a surrogate mother
through in vitro fertilization.
The success rate for this type of
procedure is small, working in only
one or two out of every 100 embryos.
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Therapeutic Cloning is different from human
cloning because it does not involve a perfectly
copied human being. It is reproductive cloning
that results in a copy of a specific human being.
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A scientist extracts the nucleus from the egg
The nucleus holds the genetic material for a human or laboratory animal
The scientist then takes a somatic cell, which is any body cell other than
an egg or sperm, and also extract the nucleus from this cell
The somatic cell would be taken from a patient who requires a SCT to
treat a health condition or disease
The nucleus that is extracted from the somatic cell in the patient is then
inserted into the egg (which had its nucleus previously removed)
It’s a substitution procedure, the egg now contains the patients genetic
material
It is stimulated to divide and shortly forms a cluster of cells known as the
blastocyst
This blastocyst has both an outer and inner layer of cells and it is the
inner layer, called the inner cell mass that is rich in stem cells. The cells in
the inner cell mass are isolated and then utilized to create embryonic stem
cell lines, which are infused into the patient where they are ideally
integrated into the tissues, imparting structure and function as needed.
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1. Repairs damaged tissue and organs: human cloning techniques can
also be used to grow organs or repair tissues and damaged organs.
Conditions such as diabetes and Alzheimer’s may also be cured with this
technology.
2. Infertility: one of the greatest benefits could be resolution of the
problem of infertility.
3. Defective genes: On average people carry 8 defective genes and these
genes cause certain illnesses.
4. Cancer: the technology used for cloning may actually be able to be
used to find the cure to cancer.
5. Preservation of Endangered Animals: Cloning can be used to conserve
endangered species and animals.
6. Plastic Surgery: Human cloning can help in procedures such as
cosmetic surgeries. The procedure will allow for use of actual tissue in the
body instead of use of foreign material such as silicon gel. Doctors may
also be able to produce bones and cartilages and problems associated
with the use of silicone will be removed. It may be possible for doctors to
perform reconstructive surgeries on faces of individuals involved in
traumatic accidents as also development of limbs for amputees.
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Therapeutic Cloning Pros:
1. Can help create vital organs
2. When organs are made out of a patients own
cell, doctors do not have to worry about organ or
tissue rejection
3. Stops the wait time for organs and patients then
do not risk their life while waiting for an organ.
4. Organs would have an exact match of the
person’s DNA.
5. Allows researchers to test cures for certain
diseases.
6. Researchers can study the regeneration of
organs.
There is a possibility of faster aging. Because an older cell is often being
used to create a human clone, there is the possibility that this imprinted age
could be placed on the growing embryo. This would then create premature
aging issues and potentially even premature death, all because of the cloning
process.
There is a reduced sense of individuality. Though a human clone would
undoubtedly be a brand new life with unique preferences, there would still
be a potential loss of individuality because a clone is simply a twin of
someone else, no matter what the age of that other person may be.
It may reduce the overall value of human life. With cloning, there is a real
possibility that humans would become more of a commodity than an
individual. If you don’t like the child you’ve got, then just go clone another
one and get it perfect the next time around. It could also create new societal
divisions, where perfected clones may be treated differently than naturally
made humans.
ETHICAL ISSUES
Religious organizations consider cloning to cause men to be
reproductively obsolete as the cloning requires only oocytes (any cell)
and a woman to develop in. They also say it's unnatural, and that we are
taking the work of God into our own hands.
There's also a debate as to the moral rights of clones. The excitement of
receiving a child of a couple who conceived naturally will not be the
same. The natural reproduction process includes genetic variation,
which makes a person unique, and cloning would deprive a person of it
Adult cells are limiting, so therapeutic cloning relies on stem cells
extracted from the embryos. Just a small portion of stem cells are usable.
In order to cure disease, millions of eggs are needed. We do not
currently have this type of supply of eggs.
The cost of therapeutic cloning is very high.
Extracting eggs from a female is costly and painful for the woman.