Issue Analysis
Human Cloning
Joe Carter
Apr. 28, 2014
what is cloning?
Cloning is a form of reproduction in which offspring result not from the chance union of egg
and sperm (sexual reproduction) but from the deliberate replication of the genetic makeup
of another single individual (asexual reproduction). Human cloning, therefore, is the asexual
production of a new human organism that is, at all stages of development, genetically
virtually identical to a currently existing or previously existing human being.
how does therapeutic cloning differ from reproductive cloning?
The use of the term ‘therapeutic’ and ‘reproductive in reference to cloning is misleading. All
cloning produces a human embryo and is therefore reproductive in nature. The more
accurate phrasing is ‘cloning-to-produce-children’ and ‘cloning-for-research’ to make a
distinction between cloning that results in the creation of an embryo for subsequent
destruction and one that is created in order to continue the normal process of human
development.
what is the process of human cloning?
Cloning is achieved by a technique referred to as somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT). The
process involves introducing the nuclear material of a human somatic cell (donor) into an
oocyte (egg cell) whose own nucleus has been removed or inactivated, and then stimulating
this new entity to begin dividing and growing, yielding a cloned human embryo.
does cloning produce an exact genetic replica of the donor?
No. All human cells, including eggs and sperm, contain small, energy-producing organelles
called mitochondria. Mitochondria contain a small piece of DNA that specifies the genetic
instructions for making several essential mitochondrial proteins. SCNT transfers the nucleus
into the oocyte, which contains mitochondrial DNA of the egg donor. Just as in sexual
reproduction, the embryo produced by cloning contains genetic material from two
different individuals.
how do the harvested cells from a cloned embryo differ from
those produced by sexual reproduction or in-vitro fertilization?
Due to missing, but crucial interactions between the sperm and egg, genetic reprogramming
errors’ are inherent to cloning. This leads to random, widespread genetic ‘imprinting’ and
epigenetic defects that are both known causes of cancer. In addition to the epigenetic defects,
cells derived from cloning that are injected back into the donor are rejected because of
epigenetic mis-expression, genetic differences due to mitochondrial DNA, and the
incompatibility of cells too immature in development to interact with adult tissue
environments. This is the major stumbling block for using material from cloned embryos for
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Human Cloning
Apr. 28, 2014
the treatment of diseases.
what are the ethical problems concerning human cloning?
The primary moral objection to cloning-for-research is the same as for all embryo-destructive
research—it creates human life solely for the purpose of destroying it; using a human embryo merely as a means to an end (e.g., “spare parts”).
The objection to cloning-to-produce children are similar in that it poses a threat to the life
of the child, and potentially to the birth mother. Even if the process could be made safe,
though, it has the potential to alter the “DNA ecosystem” in ways that are un-predictable
and thus potentially injurious to human and non-human life. For these reasons, Christians
should continue to oppose all forms of human cloning as unethical and unnecessary.
isn’t concern about the moral status of the embryo based on
religious premises? why should someone who doesn’t agree
with that position reject cloning?
While it is true that many people oppose the cloning of human embryos for religious and
ethical reasons, the issue is not divided along the typical left/right political spectrum. Even
pro-choice advocates and others who hold liberal and progressive political views find
sufficient ethical concerns for opposing the procedure.
The progressive International Center for Technology Assessment (icta.org/template/index.
cfm), for example, highlights the concerns that cloning will lead to the exploitation of
women:
“In recent testimony, one researcher stated that stem cells might be able to provide up
to 1.7 million therapies per year. This would require a minimum of 5-8 million human
eggs per year — assuming a very optimistically high success rate of 1 stem cell culture
out of 3-5 clonal embryos. Where will researchers get these millions of eggs? From women
in this country or abroad, and it is highly likely that many of these women will have to
become repeat donors. Egg donation can have significant health impacts on women. Of
particular concern are (1) the super-ovulating drugs that women are given in order to
provide the eggs for embryo cloning, (2) numerous hormone treatments given to ease egg
extraction, and (3) the extraction process itself. Risks to women from egg donation include
a potential link to ovarian cysts and cancers, severe pelvic pain, rupture of the ovaries,
bleeding into the abdominal cavity, acute respiratory distress, pulmonary embolism, and
possible negative effects on future fertility. Most women who are lured into this process are
economically disenfranchised and perform this operation because they are in financial need
and seek payment for their eggs.”
doesn’t a ban on therapeutic cloning remove a promising
venue for biomedical research?
Currently, the primary justification for therapeutic cloning is as a means of harvesting
embryonic stem cells. Any therapies that would result from the technique would likely
come from that use. Cloning, however, not only compounds the ethical concerns of
embryonic stem cell (ESC) research but also adds a significant number of other moral
problems. This Machiavellian approach would be difficult to justify even if ESC research
were to lead to miraculous cures.
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Human Cloning
Apr. 28, 2014
But ESC research has proven to be a failure. There are more than 70 conditions currently
being treated with adult stem cells, and zero with embryonic stem cells. Despite the media
hype of the early 2000s, embryonic stem cell research has proven to be useless at treating
medical conditions. When tested on animals, embryonic stem cells turned into tumors. As
biological engineer James Sherley once explained, “Figuring out how to use human
embryonic stem cells directly by transplantation into patients is tantamount to solving the
cancer problem.”
When time and money are limited it’s both irrational and immoral to divert funding and
attention from promising areas of research to ones that have absolutely no evidence of
producing results.
resources
http://www.cloninginformation.org
http://www.stemcellresearch.org
The Center for Bioethics and Human Dignity: http://www.cbhd.org
The Center for Bioethics and Culture http://www.cbc-network.org
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