Human cloning is justified in preventing genetic disease

In some cases, it is ideal to make a baby clone, says Ian Wilmut, the team leader who made Dolly, the first cloned animal in the world.

He posted his comment in an article published in New Scientist magazine (2004; 181 (2435): 12) last week and accepts that it would be fine if it helps to prevent hereditary diseases It was. Dr. Wilmut, co-director of Gene Expression and Development Department at Roslin Institute in Edinburgh, wrote: "[Human] cloning is a major advantage, and not doing so is immoral."

Dr. Wilmut's comment was recently announced after a group of Korean scientists succeeded in obtaining stem cells from a cloned human embryo. This breakthrough may help Dr. Wilmat plan to clone human cells to study motor neuron disease.

He believes that stem cells are derived from cloned human embryos at 6 days of age and can form any cell type within the body. This may be of great benefit to medical research. In the long run, they can also be used to treat diseases. The so-called therapeutic cloning

The most controversial thing is that he believes that cloning technology can be combined with genetic engineering to treat hereditary diseases. For example, a couple who does not want to inherit genetic diseases can create embryos first by in vitro fertilization. Genetic abnormalities of embryos are then screened. Collect embryonic stem cells and correct genetic abnormalities using genetic engineering technology (Nature Biotechnology 2003; 21: 319-21) developed last year by Thomas Zwake and James Thomson. After that, the orthodontic stem cell nucleus is placed in the ovum to form a new embryo for transplantation into the mother's uterus. The resulting fetus is essentially the same twin of the original embryo, but abnormal genes are corrected in each cell. It is still a clone - but a new individual created by that parent rather than a single parent's clone

Dr. Wilmut acknowledges that little is known about the technical and security implications. His current support for human cloning contrasts with his view three years ago when he saw as "moral or moral reason" for human cloning. Back then, he wrote: "If you try human cloning, those embryos that die soon may become abnormal children and adults; both are disturbing results" (Science 2001; 291: 2552 )

Helen Wallace, deputy director of the public interest group GeneWatch UK, says: "Attempts to permanently correct the" child "genes are dangerous both morally and practically. Even if it is possible, how does society determine which genes need to modify which genes?

In many ways, genetic engineering has only just begun. The future depends largely on what the public accepts. Today it seems to be a cloned dog, genetic modification to prevent or alleviate the disease is acceptable, but human cloning and true reinforcement are not allowed. It will be interesting to see what is considered acceptable after 20 years.

By cloning, humans can treat and prevent some of the most common and deadly diseases today. First, human cloning technology allows humans to enter the field of researching genetic diseases further, so that humans can test them and perhaps find a cure in a day. Advances in genetic disease examination may promote treatment of diseases such as cancer, tia disease, leukemia, etc. ("Advantages of human cloning" 1). The use of cloning techniques to guarantee the sex of infants in sexually related diseases can prevent Tay-sachs ("Human Cloning Advantage 1"). This list continues, but the most deadly disease that human beings are likely to heal is cancer ("Why do you clone human embryos?"). Approximately 125,000 cancers are in the year, and about 2 million cases have been recorded since 1973 ("Seer Cancer Statistics Review" 1). "Why do you clone human embryos?

Studies on human cloning will eventually need to be tested on the human body. The ability to clone humans can lead to genetic customization of offspring. At the center of the discussion of cloning is the genetic manipulation of the human embryo before the embryo begins to occur (the "ethical aspect of the human clone" 7). It is thought that scientists can change the genetic code of a baby and provide individuals with genetic resistance to specific colored eyes or specific diseases (Mario 6). This is thought to have been inappropriately tampered with "nature" by many ethicists