I'm still here in Bournemouth, relaxing with my husband John and his family. Yesterday we walked 9 miles to Old Harry Rocks, Shell Bay and Studland. Dorset is a beautiful place and the weather was glorious!! Today I might have a swim down at the beach....
Anyway, back to the serious topic: Reproductive Cloning.
“Reproductive cloning” is the process of somatic cell nuclear transfer followed by implantation of the “fertilized” egg with the intention of creating a life. The offspring will have the exact genetic code of the parent. There is no clear evidence that a human being has been cloned. However, there have been claims over the last few years that clones have been produced. In 2002, the company Clonaid (run by a Raelian sect) claimed that they assisted the pregnancy and birth of the first clone, appropriately (or inappropriately) named “Eve”. It has never been proven that “Eve” either existed or was a human clone. Then in 2009, The Independent newspaper in the UK reported that Dr Panayiotis Zavos had implanted clone embryos into a womb, but none had survived.
Reproductive cloning can be used for infertile couples to have a child of their own. Another use, which makes me pretty uncomfortable is to bring a person “back from the dead”. The Clonaid website makes a reference to making a clone of Michael Jackson. I think this really muddy’s the ethical waters for me. Firstly, does this world need another Michael Jackson? Secondly, would the clone of Michael Jackson necessarily “be” Michael Jackson?
The more I read about this topic, the more bizarre it gets!!! Before I go too far into the arguments for and against therapeutic and reproductive cloning, I want to explore the laws on cloning across the world.
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