Transformative medical cloning
Cloning in general is a much talked about controversial topic, however the benefits it provides outway the disadvantages. Human therapeutic Cloning research will create many opportunities for medical and educational advancements, which is why it is important to continue with studies and experiments. Therapeutic cloning of human organs can save those in need of an organ, and therapeutic cloning for diseases can lead to cures. Animal cloning has great potential to create medical breakthroughs, which can potentially save human lives as well as save animals from extinction. Human therapeutic cloning for educational and medical research opportunities, therapeutic cloning of organs and for disease, and animal cloning procedures can leave a positive impact on the medical field, along with benefit society and animals for generations to come.
Over the course of 100 years cloning has had countless discoveries, some standing out more than others. The first successful demonstration of cloning took place in 1996, with the sheep that is famously known today as Dolly. In this huge educational milestone, “Wilmut and Campbell created a lamb by transferring the nucleus from an adult sheep’s udder cell into an enucleated egg. Never before had a mammal been cloned from an adult somatic cell” (History of Cloning). In other words, Dolly was a product of an adult cell, and she essentially put cloning on the map, bringing it to the attention of many. Dolly sparked ideas across the world, which are now being applied to educational research, medical procedures, and the cloning of endangered animals including livestock. Dolly highlighted many benefits of cloning, which started to become appealing nationwide. Many were excited about the potential to transform the medical field by storm. Cloning has come along way from times of a hopeless future to now making beneficial impacts.
Human therapeutic cloning is very advantageous for future educational and medical research breakthroughs, which is why it is important to explore this specific cloning further. Therapeutic cloning is a cloning technique targeted to create new, innovative medical treatments. Education opportunity would be granted because, “therapeutic cloning could become the future of medical science, but only if research is allowed to continue” (Apecsecadmin). The continued research for therapeutic cloning is vital to the introduction of new medical procedures and educational discoveries. In order for new, easier, and quicker procedures to become realites, the research of therapeutic cloning needs to take place first. There are many ways that therapeutic cloning research has benefited society; “From a better understanding of birth defects to viable treatments for cancer, medical cloning offers researchers the chance to dig in at the genetic and cellular levels so that human health can be better understood” (Apecsecadmin). The more time, research, and money spent on the experiments and studies of therapeutic cloning, means it can only bring new found knowledge in order to help researchers get a better grasp about how they can help. Also, research will allow for doctors to get a better insight of how therapeutic cloning can benefit different parts of the body. There is essentially no harm in the research of therapeutic cloning, which is why it should be allowed to continue. The embryos that are used for therapeutic cloning “give medical researchers the ability to create medical procedures that have an incredible amount of life-saving possibilities” (Apecsecadmin). There is so much potential for therapeutic cloning and by researching more in depth it can open up new doors and ideas. Human therapeutic cloning for research is integral in having a better educational as well as medical understanding of future medicine.
Therapeutically cloning organs is a game changer, and will soon be a reality with the increasing technology and studies. In the future,” the ultimate goal of therapeutic cloning would be to create new organs from the existing cell tissues of a medical patient” (Apecsecadmin).
To reiterate, the process of therapeutic cloning organs could allow for a person’s cells to be cloned to make new organs for transplant procedures. This significant future stage of development can be a huge turning point for organ transplants. While transplants are just the beginning, there is a way to create new organs without the need of a donor. Healthy cells would need to be injected into the deteriorating organ, which would then regenerate the organ. Therefore the step of finding a donor in this process is not needed ,”because the cells would be developed based on a person’s own unique genetics and DNA”(Apecsecadmin). As a result, the organs may be less likely to be rejected, because treatments would be constructed based off an individual’s specific cells. The operations of medical patients will also be based on one’s own needs, so there is a security of confidentiality. Additionally, many have found that waiting for an organ, “is a pressing issue, in which 200,000 people die each year before an organ becomes available from a donor” (Gardels). The number of losses each year from not receiving an organ would significantly decline as a result of therapeutic cloning organs. The rejection of an organ or the lost place on the transplant list due to being bumped down could be avoided. Whether it be a totally new organ created for transplants or the regeneration of an organ, both would benefit those in need of a new organ.
Therapeutic cloning could very well cure diseases and successfully give beneficial treatments and remedies. Cloning cells for diseases can change, ” having a lifetime of suffering from chronic pain or other physical issues, because therapeutic cloning provides the opportunity to find a potential cure” (Apecsecadmin).The idea is that doctors will be able to inject the therapeutically cloned cells into the infected areas, which will essentially cure the disease. The cells will be genetically identical, so that they can instantly replace the spreading disease. The process works by first using, ” Embryonic stem cells derived by nuclear transfer,
to treat diseases including diabetes, heart disease and Parkinson’s disease” ( Therapeutic Cloning). Such diseases that many have been urging to find a cure for, can have a promising treatment in the near future. Embryonic cloning, also known as therapeutic cloning is not associated with reproductive cloning, because the goal is to only use cloned embryos for medical treatments, such as curing diseases. Essentially by “Deriving embryonic stem cells, they can then be used for the development of patient and disease specific cell-based therapies” (Therapeutic cloning). In other words, the embryos are created through the therapeutic cloning process, and then used as a healing remedy which treats the disease. The big picture is that a human body will not reject the cells as a result of the cells being such a similar match. The cure for diseases by using therapeutic cloning techniques is a hopeful and very beneficial medical advancement. Some claim that therapeutic cloning to cure diseases is ethically wrong, “because the idea of producing and using a human embryo is deeply offensive (Wilmut). Those who view it this way see the issue as that there is a possibility that human reproduction can take place. The possibility of human reproduction by making advancements in therapeutic cloning is concerning and controversial. However, it is very unlikely due to the lack of fundamental qualities that are needed in order to develop an embryo. Essentially, therapeutically cloning for diseases with the intention of curing diseases holds great potential, which is why many continue to proceed with the development of embryos.
Animal cloning creates medical advancement opportunities for humans and gives hope to saving endangered species. An arising potential medical lead was done by, “the same Scottish researchers who cloned Dolly, who then went on to clone other sheep that have been genetically modified to produce milk that contains a human protein essential for blood clotting” (Cloning Fact sheet). The idea is that the protein in the milk can be used to prevent or treat those who have blood clots. Strokes and heart attacks from blood clots could be avoided as a result of the protein in the milk. Additionally, lives could be saved by ” using cloned animals for drug testing, because they are all genetically identical, which means their responses to the drugs should be uniform rather than variable as seen in animals with different genetic makeups” ( Cloning Fact Sheet). Drug testing on cloned animals leads to medical treatment breakthroughs for humans. By testing drugs on cloned animals it allows for new possible drugs that can greatly transform medicine. Also, cloning animals is beneficial in which one can, “create clones to build populations of endangered, or possibly even extinct, species of animals” (Cloning Fact Sheet).
This is huge because animal extinction is coming around for some species, and it is important to try to save the populations from becoming extinct. Also, cloning animals genes after their extinction will allow for the populations to slowly come back. Animal cloning holds promising and beneficial impacts.
Research on human therapeutic cloning for both medical and educational advancements, therapeutic cloning for organs and diseases, and the cloning of animals should all be allowed as they are crucial to creating medical field milestones. In the near future, there are extraordinary
Possibilities that will make life changing medical history. Cloning has countless opportunities to help make new discoveries, which will give rise to transformative cloning.