The Technograph

Within the past year, President Obama made the move to lift the previous ban on human embryonic stem cell research and director James Cameron made people reconsider the possibility of human clones by featuring Jake Sully, the hero of his newest blockbuster Avatar, in a cloned body that blends human DNA with the DNA of the native people of planet Pandora. As cloning is engaged in the heat of discussion again, what most people are concerned with are the controversial ethical issues that may arise as a consequence. Before deciding what the pros and cons of human clones are, it’s important to understand the basic science involved in this complicated process.

So what is cloning? According to the definition provided by the National Human Genome Research Institute, cloning is a process “used to produce genetically-identical copies of a biological entity.” A clone therefore refers to “the copied material, which has the same genetic makeup as the original.” Most of us probably assume the term “cloning” refers to an artificial process. In fact, cloning can occur naturally in single cell organisms such as bacteria, which produces genetically-identical offspring through asexual reproduction. A fertilized egg splitting into two or more embryos carrying nearly identical DNA, creating identical twins, is also categorized as a type of natural cloning. Reproductive cloning—recreating a genetically-identical human from a previously existing human—and therapeutic cloning—destroying human embryos in the process of treating sick patients—arouse most conflicts surrounding the inferiority of cloned humans.

While cloned humans possess similar biological structures as us, they are synthetically fostered with selfish purposes. Social organizations like the “Americans to Ban Cloning Coalition” reject such an egocentric idea of creating “a class of human beings who exist not as ends in themselves, but as the means to achieve the ends of others.” Juliana Lui, a junior in MCB who does stem cell research in UIUC, expressed some of her concerns about human clones: “People may think of keeping a cloned body or body parts to replace their own when it deteriorates. Also, for one successful clone, hundreds to thousands of trials may be done, so a lot of lives are wasted,” she said, referring to those human embryos that do not successfully develop into a clone.

Putting aside the more debatable ethical issues, the foremost problem is the usually weak health of cloned animals. The aging process of cloned cells is faster than normal cells, explaining why Dolly the cloned sheep only lived for six years—half the lifespan of an average sheep. Under this circumstance, cloned humans will not be able to enjoy the same long lifespan as most other normal human beings. Therefore, their congenital abnormality would obstruct them from experiencing the equality every human deserves.

Many believe that “playing god” in the process of creating humans is morally incorrect and against nature. Just as President Obama said in his announcement to revive stem cell research, “cloning for human reproduction…is dangerous, profoundly wrong and has no place in our society or any society.”

Sources:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/10/us/politics/10stem.html?_r=1&scp=3&sq=human%20clone&st=cse

http://www.genome.gov/25020028" http://www.genome.gov/25020028

http://www.cloninginformation.org/statement.htm" http://www.cloninginformation.org/statement.htm

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