Therapeutic Cloning

Cloning is the use of technology to form an accurate genetic copy of an organism. The term "cloning" can also be used to replicate cells, genes or portions of DNA (Healey, J 2007). Cloning has two main technologies: replication and treatment. Reproductive cloning is human cloning. Although reproductive cloning has many moral obstacles, scientists believe that reproductive cloning is legal because society is increasingly accepting genetic technologies (Healey, J 2007).

Two common theoretical human clonal types are therapeutic cloning and reproductive cloning. Therapeutic cloning involves the use of human cloned cells for medicine and transplantation and is an active area of ​​research, but by 2014 there was no medical practice anywhere in the world. Two commonly used therapeutic cloning methods under investigation are somatic cell nuclear transfer, and recent pluripotent stem cell induction. Reproductive cloning involves the creation of specific cells and tissues as well as whole clones.

It is important to understand that there are three types of clones: (1) recombinant DNA technology, (2) reproductive cloning, and (3) therapeutic cloning. Please note that the same technique is used for both reproductive and therapeutic cloning. The only difference is to do on the resulting embryo. Therefore, some people prefer to use slightly cumbersome terms "cloning for reproductive purposes" and "cloning for therapeutic or research purposes". Reproductive cloning is used to produce organisms with the same nuclear DNA as other current or existing organisms. Scientists transplant DNA from non-germ cells of living organisms to nucleus-free eggs. This is somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT). Then use the current to influence the egg or treat it chemically as though it were fertilized

As with gene cloning, there is a therapeutic clone containing the production of embryonic stem cells as a surrogate for repairing damaged tissues or organs of organisms. Most cells in therapeutic clones are produced using SCNT. This process is accomplished by transferring the diploid nucleus from somatic cells to the nucleus-removed eggs, which allow the cells to grow and replicate the desired organ. Therapeutic cloning can be used for organ replacement, such as the heart or kidney, to substantially prolong the lifespan of an individual, and possibly eliminate limited death and the presence of humans. "Many scientists who promoted reproductive cloning banned therapeutic cloning and stem cell harvesting to prohibit the disease from being cured" (Smith, 2005). )