Human Cloning and Stem-Cell Research:.
In the past several years, cloning has been a rising concern on the minds of the medical and bioethics community. In February of 1997, the world learned of the first successful cloning of a mammal, a sheep named Dolly. Since then, the idea of cloning as a result of cloning to produce children or as a result of cloning for biomedical research has become an all too real possibility. The issue has become so prevalent that in 2001, President George W. Bush created the Council on Bioethics specifically to inform him on any issues or advancements made in the field of cloning and stem cell research. .
One eventual outcome of human cloning could be the ability of parents to, essentially, build their child by determining its genetic make-up. Instead of leaving children's characteristics up to chance, parents could choose their children's hair color, eye color, and skin color, effectively moving the institution of sexual reproduction from procreation to architecture. While this may sound frightening, genetic research has far more advantages than downfalls. With recent advancements in the mapping of the human genome, it will soon be possible to identify particular strings of DNA which may cause diseases like cancer or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Commonly known as ALS or Lou Gehrig's Disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is a neurodegenerative disease that attacks nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. Through stem-cell research, the affected neurons could be regenerated or replaced. If these diseases are identified and isolated before the birth of a child with the potential of developing them, the world as we know it could be changed for the better.(ALSA) .
Stem cells, as defined by SerVass, are "the most immature primordial cells in the body". Theoretically, stem cells have the ability to grow into any kind of cell or organ in the body. Stem cell research involves isolating the stem cell and studying whether or not it can be nurtured to grow into a cell that will replace a diseased or damaged cell or organ.
Stem-cell research does not have to involve blatant disregard for human life. ... Finally, scientific research dealing with "new technology" is often seen as unnatural but we are already creating embryos and we have access to stem cells without blatant disregard for human life. ... Embryo Research. ... What's wrong with Cloning? ... ...
Cloning is very real, but most research has no intention of ever creating a cloned person. ... Researchers have found very few adult stem cells. ... For example human stem cells extracted from the brains of aborted human fetuses greatly enhanced the cognitive ability of 24 month old rats (equivalent of an 80+ year old human) (Laino). ... Instead of creating life, through cloning, researchers hope to improve the quality of life through nuclear transplantation (therapeutic cloning). ... September 2002. 28 October 2002 . ...
The state of this contemporary medical research is languishing because the issue is swollen with hesitation regarding public funding, opposition from right-to-life advocates, matters of possible abuse that could lead to notorious cloning technology, and laws and law-creating that have not necessarily been interpreted to include stipulations regarding stem cell research or given permission to pursue this profound research under strict governmental guidelines. ... (b) For purposes of this section, the term "human embryo or embryos" includes any organism, not protected as a human subject under ...
Unfortunately, people oppose stem cell research that involves the destruction of human embryos. ... By destroying embryos, tiny members of the human family, embryonic stem cell research violates the medical ethic of "Do No Harm". ... Another major area of human embryonic stem cell technology is the study of human development. ... On the other hand, obtaining blastocyst-derived stem cells requires the 'destruction of human embryos' ("Stem Cell Research Alert" 1). ... Despite their position on stem cell research, most people would agree that an embryo is alive and that it is some form ...
