Cloning Controversy

Since 1885, cloning has been a hot topic in the science communities throughout the world. The first demonstration of artificial embryo twinning was performed by Hans Adolf Edward Dreisch using a sea urchin (National Human Genome Research Institute). In this simple experiment, Dreisch proved that shaking two-celled sea urchin embryos separated them and allowed each cell to grow into full sea urchins. What was learned by this experiment was that embryos in early stages of development have their own set of genes and can grow into full organisms, giving way for the principles of cloning used today. From then on, multiple scientific achievements have been reached, such as the artificial cloning of a salamander in 1902, the first successful nuclear
Department of Health and Human Services). Clones can occur both naturally and artificially, twins being the natural occurrence. Cloning can be done in one of two ways artificially, including artificial embryo twinning and somatic cell nuclear transfer. The former is a relatively easy way to clone, the way the first cloning experiment was performed; this process mimics natural twins. Twins in nature occur when the embryo, after the sperm and egg are joined, is split in two. Because the twins are of the same fertilized egg, once they continue to divide, the resulting individuals are genetically identical (University of Utah Health Services). Artificial embryo twinning uses the same approach, except it occurs in a petri dish. The cells divide in the petri dish for a short amount of time and then are placed inside a surrogate mother where they will finish developing. The latter approach, somatic cell nuclear transfer, is executed by isolating a somatic cell, removing the nucleus, transferring the nucleus from the somatic cell to an egg cell, and implanting the embryo into a surrogate mother (University of Utah Health Services). Through these two methods, gene cloning, reproductive cloning, and therapeutic cloning can be done. In gene cloning, copies of genes, segments of DNA, are cloned by isolating and inserting a gene from an organism, foreign DNA, into a carrier,
Lorraine Barnes, who had a heart attack in 2005, has been suffering from the consequences ever since, including breathlessness and extreme exhaustion (McKie). During a heart attack, the heart is deprived of oxygen and tissue dies, leading to the increased possibility of heart failure in the future. There is no cure for heart failure and the condition is quite common. In May of 2013, a team of researchers led by Shoukhrat Mitalipov at the Oregon Health and Science University of Portland were able to “produce one embryonic stem cell line using just two human eggs” (McKie). Creating patient-specific embryonic stem cells is now a practical treatment option for people suffering from heart failure, diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, etc. Due to anti-abortion laws in some states in the US, human clones could develop into fetuses, bringing about the possibility of parents, in which one is a carrier of life-threatening disease, to clone the non-carrying parent instead of taking a risk. In fact, every naturally born child has an eight percent chance of developing a “serious genetic abnormality because of the random selection of their DNA” (McKie). Cloning would avoid this risk. In addition, cloning could be used instead of a sperm bank. Oftentimes, when a single woman wants a child, she would prefer to use her own DNA instead of accepting fifty percent from a stranger. The possibilities of cloning are