...The supporters of therapeutic cloning and stem cell research call for the end of genetically linked diseases such as diabetes and cystic fibrosis. Human DNA has been atomized into clonable portions. The possibility of designer babies is cherished by affluent parents. All these are the realities of our time, the results of stem cell research whose impact may be unpredictable. On the one hand, human cloning may open new horizons for stem cell research; on the other hand, all this fuss about genetic cloning may be of no value. Stem cell research and genetic cloning remain a controversial issue that has both advocates and opponents, More than a decade ago the Roslin Institute scientists pioneered reproductive human cloning, creating the cloning of Dolly the sheep. At the turn of the 21st century the idea of cloned embryos for reproduction was rejected. Several years later, the use of spare embryos for stem cell research put the idea of cloned embryos on the agenda again. I will base on "A submission to the House of Lords Select Committee on Stem Cell Research" by David Jones (2000) to inform you about cloning for birth and transplantation, as well as human rights of human embryos among other issues related to stem cell research and genetic cloning. I will begin with genetic cloning. The clone organism is an early human life. In cloning, the nucleus of an unfertilized ovum is replaced by the nucleus of a body cell from an existing human being in order to create a human embryo...
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...Using Human Cloning for Medical Research The subject of human cloning has many different points of view. The utilization of human cloning for the sake of medical research is a path that we, as guardians of the future, should stand up against in an effort to preserve the human race as we know it today. The topic of cloning has many different terminologies as well as types. What is cloning? Cloning is not limited just to humans but is actually all around us. It exists in nature, animals and humans. Cloning is defined as the creation of a genetically identical copy of an existing human or growing cloned tissue from that individual. This term is generally used to refer to artificial cloning; human clones in the form of identical twins are commonplace, with their cloning occurring during the natural process of reproduction. “Human cloning is the asexual production of a human being whose genetic makeup is nearly identical to that of a currently or previously existing individual” (Chesire et al., 2003, p. 1010). To be successful with cloning, scientists utilize and create “generic” cells that that have the ability to make exact duplicates or copies of themselves indefinitely. This process is known as “stem cell research.” Stem cells are a key element of the different types of cloning and will impact advances in helping to cure many different types of diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, diabetes, spinal cord injury, heart disease, stroke, arthritis, and cancer. Before...
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... Therapeutic cloning has the potential to treat several degenerative diseases, thereby defective genes could be replaced and help improve the lives of millions. However, cloning in the human sense has had a difficult start. DNA cloning has permitted the development of modern biology, in particular within the last forty years. In this time frame the world has passed from theories to actually cloning genes. Subsequently, The University of Utah Health Sciences did a study on the history of cloning: Mitalipov and colleagues were the first to use somatic cell nuclear transfer to create a human embryo. …In this experiment, researchers took a skin cell from a patient and fused it with a donated egg cell. Key to the success of the experiment was the modification to the culture liquid in which the procedure was done and to the series of electrical pulses used to stimulate the egg to begin its division. Following the cloning controversy of 2004–2005, in which South Korean scientists falsely claimed to have used somatic cell nuclear transfer to create embryonic stem cell lines, the scientific community demanded much stronger evidence that the procedure had actually been successful. (Learn. Genetics) Subsequently, many states in the US began to prohibit the use of therapeutic and reproductive cloning. Regardless, cloning should be decriminalized, with the stipulation that serious regulations be put into place. People, often too caught in the moral implications of cloning never take the...
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...Is Stem Cell Research Ethical? Reginald Lawrence Is it ethical for stem cells for the advancement of medical research? In the 1800s it was discovered certain cells could generate other cells. The 1900s brought upon more research in using stem cells. The ethical issue surrounding embryonic stem cells research arises because human embryos are destroyed in the process. I believe that the benefits outweigh the negatives and that a greater good can come out of using embryonic stem cells. The treatment of diseases and illnesses continually grows and improves. Embryonic stem cells have the potential to help rectify or even cure disease and illnesses that are thought to be incurable. However, the ethical battle over the sanctity of life rages on. Stem cells can be compared to the building blocks of the human body. Embryonic stem cells are pluripotent, they can develop into any other type of cell in the body. They are extracted from a cell before they differentiate. They have the capacity to make any of the 200 different cells in the body and can also self-renew or reproduce themselves. Currently, there are 89 stem cell lines, a family of constantly dividing cells, registered with the National Institute of Health (NIH). The first line was discovered in 1998. In 1996 Congress passed the Dickey-Wicker Amendment, which put restrictions on federally funding embryonic stem cell research if the embryo was created to be destroyed. In 2001, President Bush implemented guidelines to...
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...Stem Cell Research Stem cells are generic cells that can make exact duplicates of themselves indefinitely and can be used to form specialized cells of each tissue type. They are the foundation for every cell in the body. Stem cells are unique because they can self-sustain and replicate themselves. Scientists have found that stem cells can be programmed to perform many special functions in a body. There are two main types of stem cells that scientists have found to be the most promising in the reproduction of tissues. They are adult stem cells and embryonic stem cells. Embryonic stem cells can be found in the earliest stages of fetuses. Embryonic stem cells are unique because they can be programmed to be any kind of cell in the body. Embryonic research has been experimented much more on mice. There have been no proven tests on human embryonic cells. Adult stem cells are not as much of a heated debate as embryonic stem cells are. “The use of ESC’s (embryonic stem cells) is unacceptable to some people because they can only be harvested from embryos that are destroyed in the process” (Aldhous, Reich). Embryonic stem cells have to be taken from an unborn fetus, while adult stem cells can be acquired from a fully developed being. From the highest political viewpoint embryonic stem cell research is not looked upon with fondness. The Bush administration shut down all government funding of embryonic stem cell research. Adult stem cells, also referred to as multi-potent cells...
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...Zaccaria Introduction to Ethics April 27, 2015 Outline THESIS: Is the use of stem cells favorable for healing and or curing human diseases more favorable for healing and or curing diseases more significant than the ethical concerns and arguments? I. What are stem cells? A) An unspecialized cell that can generate to one or more different types of specialized cells regenerated as blood or nerve cells. B) Stem cells are present in embryos and in tissues of adult organisms. II. How are stem cells used? A) Scientific Research B) Potential disease and treatment and or cures C) In vitro fertilization D) Cloning and Genetic Engineering III. Ethical concerns regarding stems cells. A) Scientific research perspective B) Political/Moral Ethics perspective C) Religious/Utilitarianism perspective IV. Conclusion | Stem Cells Risk or Benefit Since the introduction of DNA, scientists have researched many ways to treat and extinguish disease. One interesting way is through the use of stem cells. To get better understanding of stem cells, they are defined as non-specific biological cells capable of differentiating into specialized cells. Stems cells have a unique quality of developing and duplicating cells through the process of cell division. The distinctiveness of stem cells is that they are unspecialized, meaning no specific function, making them capable...
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...Stem Cell Research One topic or issue that has been and still is considered to be the most controversial not only in the USA but in many other countries across the world is stem cell research. Personally, I have mixed views about stem cell research. Considering the knowledge that I currently have about stem cell research, I can say that I am definitely in support of it. On one hand I can understand the controversy and views associated with those who are opposed to the research and use of stem cells. Many of the anti-stem cell research advocates have more of a major issue with the source of the stem cells rather than the method of research used. Stem cells are found throughout the body and are capable of regeneration and transforming into any one of the body’s numerous cell types. Majority of the stem cells used are from adult tissues and referred to as the adult stem cells, or somatic cells, which are derived mostly from blood, bone marrow, and the skin. The other types of stem cells also being used are the umbilical cord stem cells, amniotic fluid stem cells, and embryonic stem cells. The most versatile and controversial of all the stem cells are the embryonic, which are also believed to be more promising for studying, treating and curing diseases. The controversy associated with embryonic stem cells are the simple fact that they are derived from embryos which were developed and donated for research purposes by a donors who signed consent for the eggs to be fertilized...
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...Embryonic stem cells are pluripotent, meaning they are able to grow (i.e. differentiate) into all derivatives of the three primary germ layers: ectoderm, endoderm and mesoderm. Adult stem cells are undifferentiated cells, found throughout the body after embryonic development, that multiply by cell division to replenish dying cells and regenerate damaged tissues. Therapeutic cloning is cloning which is performed for the purpose of medical treatment. For example, it could theoretically be used to grow a replacement organ, to generate skin for a burn victim, or to create nerve cells for someone suffering from brain damage or a neurological condition. Therapeutic cloning is closely related to reproductive cloning, in which a copy of an organism is produced, but the two have very different end goals. The advantage to therapeutic cloning in medical treatment is that it would allow doctors to grow replacements for missing and damaged body parts for their patients. This would eliminate organ and tissue shortages, ensuring that every patient who required something like a new liver or new kidneys could get what he or she needed. There are some definite ethical concerns with therapeutic cloning. For people who do not share these beliefs, many types of cloning are still fraught with ethical problems, ranging from questions about how accessible such techniques are to the general public to concerns...
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...Purposes of Gene Cloning To study genes in the laboratory, it is necessary to have many copies on hand to use as samples for different experiments. Such experiments include Southern or Northern blots, in which genes labeled with radioactive or fluorescent chemicals are used as probes for detecting specific genes that may be present in complex mixtures of DNA. Cloned genes also make it easier to study the proteins they encode. Because the genetic code of bacteria is identical to that of eukaryotes, a cloned animal or plant gene that has been introduced into a bacterium can often direct the bacterium to produce its protein product, which can then be purified and used for biochemical experimentation. Cloned genes can also be used for DNA sequencing, which is the determination of the precise order of all the base pairs in the gene. All of these applications require many copies of the DNA molecule that is being studied. Gene cloning also enables scientists to manipulate and study genes in isolation from the organism they came from. This allows researchers to conduct many experiments that would be impossible without cloned genes. For research on humans, this is clearly a major advantage, as direct experimentation on humans has many technical, financial, and ethical limitations. Importance for Medicine and Industry The ability to clone a gene is not only valuable for conducting biological research. Many important pharmaceutical drugs and industrial enzymes are produced from cloned...
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...BIO/240 May 6, 2013 DNA Technology INTRO – LEE DNA Technology: Cloning, Gene Therapy, and Stem Cell Research DNA technology encompasses a wide variety of applications and because of the duplicating nature of DNA, it is easy to see how humans could benefit from its manipulation. One such technology is cloning. Cloning technology comes in three forms: recombinant DNA cloning, reproductive cloning, and therapeutic cloning. Cloning Recombinant DNA cloning consists of transferring DNA fragments from an organism to a self-replicating element, like a bacterial plasmid. The fragments join with the cloning vector and are reproduced with the host cell. This technology is most commonly known for its use in genetically modified foods. DNA fragments that code for better tasting, higher nutrient qualities are spliced into regular plants to produce super foods (US Dept of Energy Genome Program, 2009). Reproductive cloning takes all the genetic information out of a cell and replaces it with DNA from the desired organism. With luck, this cell will begin to divide until it becomes an embryo and can be implanted into a host mother (US Dept of Energy Genome Program, 2009). Gene Therapy and Stem Cell Research Therapeutic cloning is by far the most controversial. This type of cloning produces human embryos for use in research, and usually for the stem cells that can be harvested from these embryos. Stem cells can be used to clone organs and body parts from the patient’s own DNA...
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...30 years there has been debate over Stem Cell Research. In November of 1998 when researchers first reported the isolation of human embryonic stem cells. The discovery, made by Dr. James A. Thomson, a biologist at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, offered great promise for new ways of treating disease. With this great discovery much debate came over stem cell research. Even though Dr. Thomson research was extraordinary this topic has been in debate for over thirty-years. During this time the legislation had been revised to in compass new advancement in the research along with protect the public interest. The question that is continually being evaluated is the use of stem cell ethical. In 1973, Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade rules that decisions about abortion are private, between a woman and her doctor. Some States may not forbid abortion in first two trimesters. This decision sparks a large, politically active anti-abortion movement that opposes research on embryos. Members of Congress become concerned about research exploitation of embryos and fetuses that will be aborted. (Wertz, 2002) In 1974,Congress applies its own temporary moratorium on federally funded clinical research on embryos and embryonic tissue, including research on IVF, infertility, and prenatal diagnosis, until national guidelines can be established. A de facto moratorium continues until the present. Basic, non-therapeutic, research using embryonic cells continues, out of public view. Congress...
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...Ethics of Cloning The Ethics of Cloning Team D: Casey Krueger, Erin Lee, Ferdinand Malarayap, Marvin Monge, and Ibrahim Mortada August 14, 2011 DeVry University Online Stem cell research and cloning have become a major topic of interest in countries all around the world ever since Dolly the sheep was successfully cloned in 1997. Every single country has their own views about stem cell research and cloning because of their moral and ethical issues. Muslims, for example, are individuals who are firm believers that knowledge is acquired in a form of worship, and any human achievement must be performed in conformity with God’s will. The introduction of new science in Islam is not perceived with open arms and new technology has to prove benefits before it is accepted because of the fear and respect the Muslim culture has for their God. Any new knowledge or discovery must be implemented within the confines of God’s laws and limits to maintain a healthy balance in the creation. Science and religion have to work together in the Muslim culture to determine if new knowledge or research such as stem cell and cloning are linked to the broad ethical base set forth in the Qur’an and the Sunnah. Cloning began from the very earliest if civilization. Historians and scientist believe that early farmers took the strongest of their crop, self-pollinated them with same plant, extracted the seeds, and planted them to create a field of genetically identical plants. This type of cloning is more...
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...Assignment 1: Biology Article Cinthya Jacobo Professor: Dr. Francie Coblentz Introduction to Biology: SCI115 11/08/2015 The article “Therapeutic Cloning, and stem cell Research” by Gena Smith is about how we can extract stem cells from replicated human embryos and use them for medical and therapeutic purposes. The stems cells are perfect because they are what the article calls “master cells” which with the help of science, can be manipulated to become anything from brain cells to kidney cells. The article also revolves around the amount of controversy over the issue of cloning. The article mostly reviews the medical side of cloning rather than the reproduction side which can one day lead to the cloning of individual people. The article has high hopes for the potential use of cloning stating that “Down the road, scientists believe it will be possible to create complicated structures such as blood vessels, liver tissue, and whole kidneys. In fact, ACT scientists have already succeeded in building tiny cow kidneys that could be used for kidney transplants. It isn't hard to envision, Lanza says, a future where pretty much any kind of organ or tissue could be engineered to replace those damaged by age, injury, or disease.” Overall, this new study of cloning could help clone new body tissues which can help regulate, maintain and potentially replace importance body organs that could then lead to the salvation of millions of lives. According to an article by Norwegian University...
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...A Pluripotent Challenge Recent advances in human stem cell research have generated enormous enthusiasm on the part of researchers and optimistic predictions of revolutionary advances in biomedicine. These same advances have also sparked considerable ethical debate. The main ethical challenges associated with stem cell research have to do with the source of those cells. Although some advances have been made in the use of adult stem cells, the consensus seems to be that the most promising categories of stem cells are embryonic stem (ES) cells (derived from the five- to seven-day-old embryos known as blastocysts) and embryonic germ (EG) cells, derived from immature aborted fetuses. In fact, there are four main sources of (non-adult) stem cells, and each presents its own challenging ethical issues. The first such source (of ES cells) is the surplus embryos that are a by-product of the activities of in vitro fertilisation (IVF) labs. One ethical concern here has to do with the status of the embryo itself. The degree of respect that ought to be granted to a human embryo is highly controversial. Some hold that the embryo - genetically human and a potential person - deserves our full respect and protection. Others hold that while the embryo may be genetically human, it has (particularly at early stages) none of the characteristics of persons. It is not conscious; it is not self-aware. It is a cluster of cells with no independent ethical status. Still others hold an in-between view, arguing...
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...Stem Cells For as long as humans exist optimal health will continue to remain necessary for a productive life. As new medical discoveries are made each year humans become healthier, and their life expectancy increases. Stem cell research, a relatively new field, aims to improve and lengthen human life. The possibility that stem cells could cure many long term health problems makes this research beneficial to the human race. The value of stem cells comes from their ability to replicate many times and develop into tissue. Scientists suggest that stem cells have the ability to treat debilitating health problems such as: Alzheimer’s disease, spinal cord injuries, strokes, burns, heart disease, diabetes, osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis. Scientists obtain stem cells from embryos, adult tissue, umbilical cord blood, and bioengineered cells. The major controversy surrounding stem cell research and therapies is due to the fact that embryos are destroyed when harvesting the cells. Embryonic stem cells, also called blastocysts, exist in three to five day old embryos. Destroying embryos brings up ethical concerns for many individuals. Despite this controversy scientists aspire to use embryonic stem cells because they can differentiate into every type of cells, whereas adult stem cells can be differentiated only into the cells, from where they were originated. In order to decide how one feels about stem cell research, one must first decide when life begins. Does life begin the...
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