Monkey Cloning: Are humans next?

What Are Stem Cells?

Our bodies are made of many different types of cells: skin cells, hair cells, bones, heart and so on. Each cell has it’s own form and function. We must remember that all of this came from one cell initially – the fertilised egg cell.

In order for the fertilised egg to produce the many different types of cells that make up a living creature, the cells must not only divide – they must ‘differentiate’. The DNA information within an egg that has become an embryo contains not only the genetic code of an individual – but also an assembly manual of sorts - the ability to produce specific kinds of cells.

Within a few days of an embryo developing, it is in the form of a microscopic ball of cells, inside this ball are a few dozen cells – these are embryonic stem cells.

What is the Potential for Embryonic Stem Cells?

Embryonic stem cells have been shown that they can be manipulated to become a differentiated cell. Theoretically, an adult human who has had either an injury or illness which has damaged an organ could use cells taken from their own body, which are then used to re-grow and regenerate only those damaged cells.

The Cloning Issue

Some people believe that it is unethical to tamper with a human embryo. The removal of cells from an embryo which are the source of stem cells destroys the embryo. Opponents of this process argue that human life is being misused for research purposes.

Others believe that allowing stem cell research with human embryos is the first step towards someone producing a living cloned person. This is known as ‘reproductive cloning’.

We must think very carefully about which laws and regulations must be in place to govern cloning and stem cell technologies. For example, if we are faced with a patient who is terminally ill, should we permit the cloning and use of his or her own embryonic stem cells to save their lives? And even more controversial, situations have already arisen in which parents of young children have been given permission to screen the (IVF created) embryos of their future children to determine if one might be of the same blood type as their already living child – and thereby a suitable donor for a needed bone marrow transplant.

UN Demands Ban on Human Cloning

Last week, along with the announcement that the first primate had been cloned from a living host, the UN released a report urging a ban and criminalisation of human reproductive cloning.

While it seems clear that some sort of legal framework is required, the danger of not having laws in place in all countries raises the risk that less scrupulous researchers could be driven to nations which have no governing legislation of any sort on these issues.

For more information

UN Urges Cloning Ban
http://reuters.com

US National Institute of Health - Stem Cell Info
http://stemcells.nih.gov/info/basics/