Of the two main types of cloning, the first is “therapeutic cloning” or somatic cell nuclear transfer. As in the case of Dolly the sheep, the nucleus of a cell from the body is implanted into an unfertilized or fertilized enucleated (empty) egg and then induced to develop to the blastocyst stage (about 5-8 days of development). The blastocyst contains embryonic stem cells which are able to develop into any cell type for example muscle or nerve cells. These can then be harvested and prompted to develop into these specific cells, e.g. muscle, tissue, nerve, bone which can then be used therapeutically in the treatment of disease. The eggs used in the process either come from donors of eggs or embryos created in the process of In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) that are not going to be used. Consent is provided for the products to be used in this way.
A recent example of therapeutic cloning occurred last week, when stem cells were used to grow a trachea for a boy in the UK. I’ve posted the link below.
Some of the possibilities of therapeutic cloning are the ability to grow compatible organs for patients awaiting transplantation and the potential ability to cure diseases for example Alzheimer’s disease, Multiple Sclerosis or repair a Spinal Cord Injury. These are amazing possibilities which will change the face of medical science and prolong and improve the quality of human life.
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