© Michael Lacewing

The rise of the clones?

Michael Lacewingenquiries@alevelphilosophy.co

.uk

I. Creating stem cells for medical use

• Embryonic stem cell lines are created by removing an inner cell mass from a five- to seven-day-old embryo, a procedure which kills the embryo.

• When properly nurtured, the cells are able to replicate themselves, creating what is called a stem cell line that provides continuing opportunities for research. The undifferentiated cells have the potential to become any type of cell - brain, heart, liver, bone.

• The embryos used are surplus ones created by IVF treatment

Creating stem cells

Cloning from adults

• Patients might reject tissue grown from embryonic stem cells. To create cloned cells:

• Take the DNA from one of the patient's cells, and put into a human egg cell that's had its nucleus removed

• Multiply the cell in culture to form the embryo, remove the stem cells, and trigger their growth into the necessary type of cells

• Transplant the cells, which are genetically identical to the patient’s, into the patient

Cloning from adults

Reproductive cloning: Creating a cloned

animal

The world’s first cloned mammal: Dolly (RIP)

A thought on stem cell research

• ‘Most of the work on understanding the biology of [stem] cells, how to use them, how to turn them into particular cell types for eventual applications, will come out of work on cell lines derived from surplus embryos not cloned ones.’ Professor Peter Andrews, Sheffield

Progress towards cloning from adults

• Success in cattle, sheep, mice, goats, pigs, and most recently, cats and dogs– It is difficult to predict where success will

come - each species is different.• Two steps:

– Create a clone of an embryo (use the DNA of an embryo to create another embryo)

– Create a clone of an adult (use an adult’s DNA)

Progress towards cloning from adults

• First scientifically recognised claim to cloning a human embryo was made by Dr Hwang of South Korea in February 2004

• First scientifically recognised claim to creating an embryo cloned from a human adult in May 2005

• Both shown in January 2006 to be fraudulent

Progress towards cloning from adults

• In May 2005, researchers at the University of Newcastle succeeded in creating a human embryo cloned from another embryo. No embryo cloned from an adult human being has yet been created.

• Cloning from adults in order to create stem cells for medical use is legal in Britain; cloning for reproductive purposes is not.

Stem cells: ethical issues

• Is it morally permissible to:– create embryos in IVF treatment?– use surplus embryos to create stem

cells for medical treatments?

II. Cloning for reproduction

• In 2001, Doctor Severino Antinori claimed he would try to clone a human being before the year was out. In July 2002, a French newspaper published an interview with Antinori in which he claimed 18 women were now pregnant with cloned embryos. But Antinori later denied this report.

Clonaid

• July 2002: several women pregnant with cloned embryos

• December 2002: first cloned baby (girl) born

• March 2003: 5 babies• October 2004: 13 babies• To this day, no proof at all

has been given that the children are clones.

Clonaid and the Raelians

• Clonaid was founded by a religious cult, the Raelians, which believes life on Earth was created by a genetic engineering experiment carried out by super-intelligent extra-terrestrials.

• They also claim to be making progress on brain mapping and personality transfer.

Identity: Are clones ‘clones’?

• Clones do not ‘recreate’ the original person. They simply have (almost) identical DNA; but so do twins.

• Clones will be much more different from twins:– Different conditions in the womb– Different conditions growing up

Justification

• Antinori: use cloning to make children possible for couples who have no other means– Not for single mothers– Not for old mothers– Not for ‘recreating’ a dead child

On ‘playing God’

• Roslin Institute: ‘Those concerned that scientists were "playing at God" seemed to ignore how much mankind has altered the cards that we were originally dealt. Animals were first domesticated about 5000 years ago and selective breeding since has produced modern strains of livestock, plants and pets which are very different from their original progenitors.

On ‘playing God’

• In medicine, our current life expectancy of well over 70 years is a result of direct intervention in nature, from improved prenatal care, vaccination and use of antibiotics. The human condition is still far from perfect and there is no particular reason now to call a general halt to what most people view as progress.’