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Human Cloning - myth or reality?
- Apr 1, 2009 at 6:30 AM
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- Comments (8) Total Views (455) Everyone can see this journal post.
I often see human (reproductive) cloning thrown into the mix when people are discussing embryonic stem cells. Basically, cloned embryos can be destroyed and used for stem cell research (therapeutic cloning) OR can be implanted in a uterus with the intent of allowing it to develop to term (reproductive cloning). For more information about cloning, see my previous post HERE.
People often say allowing scientists to perform research on embryonic stem cells will be a "slippery slope" to human cloning. Actually, stem cell scientists aren't interested in making more people, and most don't have the background to make it happen. They are generally doing basic science research in fields like human development and biochemistry, or disease research such as for Diabetes and Parkinson's Disease. Basic Science researchers work with indiviual cells, not whole people. Disease Science researchers work with individual cells in the early stages, then whole people in the clinical studies, but their interest is in curing the people we have, not generating new cloned people.
What many people fail to realize is that ANIMAL CLONING is the slippery slope that could lead to human cloning. More than one person claims it already has, although no one has published any proof. Check out Dr. Severino Antinori and Dr. Panayiotis Michael Zavos , both of whom work outside of the USA. Animal reproductive cloning is legal in nearly every country, and the FDA has given clearance for cloned beef to be sold as food in the USA. Human reproductive cloning is illegal in ALMOST every country in the world.
The most famous cloned animal is Dolly the sheep that was cloned in the UK in the 1990s. Since then, many other animals have been successfully cloned, and the more work that is done in this area, the closer they get to perfecting the technique in animals. The current process of animal cloning is not very efficient, resulting in many failed attempts - where the blastocysts fail to grow in culture, or fail to form viable offspring when implanted, which results in miscarriage.
Dolly (sheep) Pigs Rabbits Mule Cats MORE
One of the main concerns with human cloning is that it would be unethical and could lead to suffering of the offspring since the process is so inefficient, and basically not controllable by current techniques used in animals. As I said, if the technique is perfected in animals, this argument may no longer hold water. Of course there are many other arguments against human cloning (beyond the scope of this blog).
Do YOU believe a human clone has been made? Does animal cloning concern you?
Tonya
AKA sunmoonstars
Comments:
No matter what the nay-sayers think, stem cell research is a good thing. They will find cures for diseases that we can't find cures for at the moment. Human cloning is a can of worms that most people don't even want to think about because it open too many doors that no one wants to think about (See the movie The Island for one, humans cloned and kept basically ignorant of the outside world, so they can be used for organ replacements.)
The idea of eating cloned beef dosn't really appeal to me very much either though. Yeah, if you can work all the kinks out of it, it's a great way to increase our food supply, but the problem is is with certian types of cloning, all of the traits that were recessive in the original animal become dominant in the clone. This can be as simple as a color change or as complicated as a genetic disorder. And what happens if they clone a cow that's got Mad Cow Disease or something like that?
I think the concerns by the scientifc community about cloning are caused by their own desire for knowledge, and that they know that if they have the ability that someone will use it, and that scares them and everyone else.
Loki'sMama - Mad Cow disease isn't likely caused by a genetic disorder (more on that here in this blog "Eating Prions and Mad Cows" ) but I understand your point. you are correct - one of the challenges to animal cloning is to make sure you don't continuously clone a sick animal, or bring out traits not expected, such as temperament problems, etc.
This is such a scary topic on SO many levels.
You have definitely cemented my decision to be a vegetarian!!!
I don't have a clue as to whether or not a human has been cloned, but with the greed of some people I wouldn't doubt that some might like the idea.
What about cloning human organs?
Della, cloning human organs would be done through an entirely different method that doesn't involve generating a live baby first. Basically, they would grow the organ from cells form a patient. This has already been done - see my notes about the windpipe transplant (the first reply on this post). There is much more research currently, trying to grow a variety of other organs.
Thanks for your question! great point.
That is fantastic!
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I don't believe a human clone has been created. I don't think we are advanced enough to do that. Or maybe I'm naive. =) I think animal cloning could be an wonderful solution to this world's hunger epidemic. When I hear the words "stem cell research" I think of possible cures for serious diseases, not unethical human cloning.
- KelleyP77
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