Despite widespread opposition, the idea of cloning human beings is still on the minds of many. Some countries consider human cloning illegal, and others believe that it is perfectly legal. No matter the legalities, the perceived need for cloned humans will not diminish any time soon. Currently, the most popular scenario for would-be cloners involves a couple grieving the loss of a child.
Many critics believe that Cloning is wrong because it is a form of assisted reproduction, and some worry that the clones will be treated as commodities. They are also concerned that cloned individuals will have their entire genetic blueprint chosen, so that their appearance will resemble a model. As such, cloned individuals would become "fully made" human beings, essentially. But what is the ethical stance?
While human cloning is still controversial, it is a viable option for producing genetically identical offspring. Using embryonic cells, scientists can create babies by using the same genes. Currently, the procedure is called "embryo splitting," which involves the division of an early embryo in vitro. Once transferred into a uterus, the result is a child with identical genetic makeup. This procedure has also been successful in producing twins.
A few years ago, a group called Clonaid was founded, and announced that they had cloned Eve on Dec. 27, 2002. By 2004, they claimed to have produced 14 human clones. Interestingly, they didn't allow independent testing on the babies, claiming to be protecting their privacy. Another group, the Raelians, announced that they would create their first human clone in two years. This was later stopped by the Food and Drug Administration.
However, this technique has a number of disadvantages, including gross obesity, premature death, and impaired organs and immune systems. While Dolly's nuclear DNA was the same as that of the donor animal, her mitochondria in the cytoplasm contained DNA segments that were not identical to the original. Thus, if Dolly had been 100% identical to the donor animal, it would have been impossible to distinguish her from Dolly. Further research into human reproductive cloning should only be permitted if the donor and cloned infant are of the same maternal line.
There are several ethical and social issues involved in human cloning. Many countries have already banned human cloning for this reason. Despite this, there have been attempts to develop cloned human embryos using somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT). However, these methods have raised concerns over exploitation and misuse of the procedure. As a result, many have been put on hold. Even though they aren't approved yet, the concept is still very controversial and may eventually be developed.
Although cloning is generally considered ethically acceptable, critics argue that it is a form of eugenics. Nazi eugenics involved coercion, and the practice was motivated by unsound moral beliefs. It is therefore not necessarily immoral to use the same technology today. Some argue that a 'liberal eugenics' concept is possible and can lead to more state compulsion than it seems.
