Scientific and Medical Risks of Human Cloning

Paper Summary:

This paper describes what human reproductive cloning entails, and explains that although many scientists view it as beneficial, it is fraught with scientific and medical risks such as abnormal gene expression patterns, low success rate of mammalian cloning, fetal abnormalities that arise during reproductive cloning, and chromosomal or telomere shortening. The creation of Dolly, a cloned sheep, is described, and her health problems, which brought to the fore the risks involved in cloning. The writer explains that the current technique of somatic cell nuclear transfer has not yet been refined, and its long-term safety has not yet been proven. The risk of producing individuals with genetic anomalies necessitates the need to seek better understanding and potential medical therapies for the unforeseen genetic consequences that could stem from human cloning. The writer concludes that alternative approaches that raise fewer scientific and medical risks should be pursued instead.

From the Paper:

"Numerous studies show that the cloning of a human through the use of nuclear transplantation technology is presently not safe and appropriate as it results in abnormal gene expression patterns. The most likely cause of developmental defects in a clone is the abnormal gene expression. For example, in the National Academy of Sciences journal, in Rudolph Jaenisch's article "Abnormal gene expression in cloned mice derived from embryonic stem cell and cumulus cell nuclei," Jaenisch reveals that premature death, pneumonia, hepatic failure, and obesity could be a consequence of gene expression abnormalities (Jaenisch). The adverse consequences resulting from abnormal gene expression seen in this study support the fact that human reproductive cloning is medically unsafe."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Brubaker, Harold. "Double Trouble Impedes Cloning." Philadelphia Inquirer. March 1, 2007. SIRS Knowledge Source. November 2, 2008. http://www.sirs.com
• Committee on Science, Engineering, and Public Policy. "Scientific and Medical Aspects of Human Reproductive Cloning." The National Academic Press. http://books.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=10285 October 18, 2008.
• DeBaets, Amy Michelle. "The Language of Cloning: How the Terminology Affects the Politics." Ethics & Medicine. October 1, 2004: 187. eLibrary. October 11, 2008. http://elibrary.bigchalk.com/libweb/elib/do/document?set=search&groupid=1&requestid=lib_standard&resultid=1&edition=&ts=FD10AAF6C616299AD02423ED994B65CA_1226284364723&start=1&urn=urn%3Abigchalk%3AUS%3BBCLib%3Bdocument%3B119555156
• Flam, Faye. "Maybe She Ain't What She Used to Be." Philadelphia Inquirer. May 27, 1999. SIRS Knowledge Source. November 2, 2008. http://www.sirs.com
• Halim, Nadia. "Scientists show cloning leads to severe dysregulation of many genes." Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research. (September 11, 2002) http://www.wi.mit.edu/news/archives/2002/rj_0911.html October 20, 2008.

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