Human and Therapeutic Cloning

1. Human and Therapeutic Cloning By: Michaela Daniels, Lindsey Pion, Val Burke, and Salam Cacous

2. Human Cloning • 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.

3. How it works • 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.

4. Therapeutic Cloning • 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.

5. How it works • 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.

6. Pros of Cloning • 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.

7. Therapeutic Pros • 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.

8. Cons of Cloning 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.

9. 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

10. Therapeutic Cons 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.