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TOPIC: BIOETHICS INVOLVED IN CLONINGPRESENTED BY: MOHSIN SHAD (2013-BC-005)PRESENTED TO: MAM SHAGUFTA SAEED

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WHAT IS BIO-ETHICS?

• The study of the ethical and moral implications of new biological discoveries and biomedical advances, as in the fields of genetic engineering and drug research

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CLONING: WHAT IS IT ?

• The production of multiple, exact copies of a single gene, DNA fragment, cell line, or organism.•3 types of cloning technology today: 1.Recombinant DNA technology,2.Reproductive cloning3.Therapeutic cloning

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RECOMBINANT DNA TECHNOLOGY

• The gene of interest is cut from the genome using restriction enzymes.• It is then joined with a similarly cut DNA molecule, a

plasmid. The plasmid is known as the cloning vector.•Plasmids are circular molecules found in bacteria that

are separate from the bacterium’s normal genome.•Plasmids are self-replicating, allowing the new

recombinant DNA molecule to produce its gene product in its new environment.

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•Plasmids are not the only cloning vectors that can be used, but they are very common.•Each vector has a limitation to the size (in base pairs) of the DNA fragment that can be cloned.•This technology has been used since the 1970s; it is fairly common practice in molecular biology labs today.

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REPRODUCTIVE CLONING• The generation of a new animal that has the same nuclear DNA as a

previously existing animal.• Artificial Embryo Twinning: A blastomere is induced to split, forming

identical twins.• Nuclear Somatic Transfer: The nucleus of an adult body (somatic) cell is

transferred into an egg which has had its nucleus removed. After treatment to make it begin dividing, the embryo is transplanted into a host uterus.• Dolly was created using nuclear somatic transfer.• Extremely inefficient, most eggs do not develop into an organism.

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THERAPEUTIC CLONING• Uses the process of nuclear somatic transfer to create an embryo. • However, the embryo is destroyed and harvested for stem cells.• Stem cells are undifferentiated and retain the ability to develop

into many cell types depending on their potency.• Totipotent cells can develop into any tissue in the human body,

plus tissues needed for development such as placental cells.• Pluripotent cells can develop into almost all cells, but cannot

produce a new organism.

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THERAPEUTIC CLONING• Also multipotent and unipotent cells that can only develop into a

specific tissue or cell type. These are obviously less useful.• These cell cultures are maintained in a “lineage.” Dr. Hwang claimed to

have several human stem cell lineages.• An embryo must be destroyed, whether it be naturally or artificially

created. • Can possibly use stem cells to treat cancer, regrow damaged nerve or

muscle cells, etc.• Due to the controversy stirred by recent events, it is unclear how far

science has progressed towards creating and maintaing human stem cell lines.

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BIOETHICS REQUIRED FOR CLONING OR RESEARCH• Cloning is one of the most controversial issues in today’s society

due to every person’s own set of moral beliefs.• There are many different policies that must be considered when

conducting clinical research. 1) Value - when doing experimentation with cloning, we must first

decide whether or not the conclusions will lead to some sort of improvement in health and well-being.

2) Scientific Validity – there must be a clear objective for cloning. Cloning research must be based on proven scientific knowledge and methods.

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BIOETHICS REQUIRED FOR CLONING OR RESEARCH3) Fair Subject Selection - In choosing subjects to take part in cloning, there mustn’t be any biases or discrimination. 4) Favorable risk-benefit ratio - minimize the risk and maximize the benefits of cloning.5) Independent Review – A board reviews the topics and ethical issues of cloning.6) Consent – When human cloning begins it will be relevant that the subject give consent to the experimentation.7) Respect for Enrolled Subjects – Those who take place in cloning research or processes must be guaranteed their human rights and be given the proper respect

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BIOETHICS INVOLVED IN ANIMAL CLONING

Different Bioethics involved in cloning described below:• Survival rate of cloned embryos low• Over weighing of calves at birth • Breeders may want to keep their animal unique• Breeders may want to create better offspring• Poor development of heart, lung and immune system• Might have genetic disorder

BIOETHICS INVOLVED IN HUMAN CLONING

Humans Cloning is Ethically Unacceptable due to following factors;• Controlling Someone Else's makeup• Instrumentality• Infertility - an Exception to Instrumentality• Psychological Effects - Identity and Relationship• Physical Risk• Social Risk

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WHY HUMANS CLONING IS ETHICALLY UNACCEPTABLE1. CONTROLLING SOMEONE ELSE‘S GENETIC MAKEUP: Child can reject any aspect of its upbringing, but it could never reject the genes that were chosen for it • Such control by one human over another is incompatible with the ethical

notion of human freedom, in the sense of that each individual's genetic identity should be inherently unpredictable and unplanned

2. INSTRUMENTALALITY:• Cloning raises a number of concerns arising from its consequences, of which

instrumentality and risk are of especial importance.

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3.INFERTILITY - AN EXCEPTION TO INSTRUMENTALITY:

• An exception to this objection would be the idea of producing a child from an infertile couple by cloning one of them. • But this raises other problems. Instead of being the unique

genetic product of both parents, the child is a copy of one of them. • It would not be the biological child of both parents in the

normal sense.

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4.PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECTS - IDENTITY AND RELATIONSHIP:

•Would the clone feel that he or she was just a copy of someone else who's already existed and not really themselves? • Am I really someone else but put into a different womb? •What will be my relationship to the one I was cloned from? • No one can predict with any degree of assurance what the

response would be.

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5.PHYSICAL RISK:

• To repeat the same thing on humans would be giving both the mother and the potential fetus an unacceptably high risk of damage. • How many abnormal babies would have to be produced to get one right? • Roslin researchers have said that there is no experiment that could be done

to prove the safety of human cloning without causing serious risk to humans in the process.

6. SOCIAL RISK:Human cloning would bring grave risks of abuses to human dignity and exploitation by unscrupulous people.

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RELIGIOUS VIEWS ABOUT CLONING

Religious views about cloning are mixed

ISLAM:• The cloning of specific parts of the human body for medical

purposes is not prohibited in ISLAM but to clone the whole human body would not be permitted under any circumstances but on the issue of animal ethics he takes a more lenient position.

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RELIGIOUS VIEWS ABOUT CLONINGCHRISTIANITY:The World Council of Churches opposed cloning of both human embryos and whole humans in February 2006.The United Methodist Church opposed research and reproductive cloning in May 2000 and again in May 2004.RAELISM:is the only religious group of which any part (specifically, the religion's medical arm Cloned) has claimed to have successfully cloned a human being. Cloned claims that cloning will bring humanity closer to immortality

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LAW'S THAT CONTROL CLONING• There have been numerous bills that have been introduced into

Congress to prohibit or control cloning practices.• Congress explains that cloning is illegal in the following terms: • “It shall be unlawful for any person or entity –

1) to perform or attempt human cloning2) to participate in an attempt to perform human cloning3) to ship or receive the product of human cloning for any purpose.• Federal funding of cloning is prohibited in the US.

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NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF HEALTH

According to National Institute of Health:• Research should be allowed on preexisting embryos.• In certain compelling instances, researchers would be allowed

to remove embryonic cells from embryos that were meant for in vitro fertilization.• Impregnating clone embryos into humans should be banned.

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NATIONAL BIOETHICS ADVISORY COMMISSION

According to National Bioethics Advisory Commission:• It is morally unacceptable for anyone in public or private sector

to clone humans.• Any attempt to clone humans is irresponsible and unethical.• It is ok to clone DNA sequences, cell lines, and animals because

it does not raise the issues human cloning does.• There should be regulations on the humane use of animals.

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