The Benefits and Ethics of Cloning Technology

Cloning is the production of identical genetic copies of cells or an individual. The process occurs naturally when a cell or organism reproduces asexually through processes such as mitosis, binary fission, budding, sporulation, or parthenogenesis, or when genetically identical twins are produced naturally.

Even the process of horticultural grafting and taking cuttings are technically forms of cloning, as the resultant plant is a genetic copy of the original. However, the debate centering on cloning most often focuses on the deliberate human cloning of a cell, tissue, organ, or individual ("Cloning"). It is this type of cloning that holds the hopes of the medical future and can positively affect a variety of other areas, despite the risks that critics fear.

DNA cloning technology has been in existence for more than three decades and is a common practice in molecular biology laboratories. The process is also known as recombinant DNA technology, molecular cloning, and gene cloning. It involves transferring a DNA fragment from one organism into a cloning vector — such as a virus or bacterial plasmid, which are most often used for recombinant DNA experiments.

After the vector is introduced into suitable host cells, the recombinant DNA can be reproduced along with the host cell DNA and harvested for further study in the laboratory. Once the bacteria multiply, the bacterial cells are killed with antibiotics and the DNA is extracted for further study ("Cloning").

DNA cloning is typically the first stage of most genetic engineering experiments. Genetic engineering efforts, such as gene pharming, are necessary to produce human proteins, drugs, and other compounds used in medicinal applications. Gene pharming is used to manufacture common compounds such as insulin and growth hormones, relied upon by thousands of patients. Transgenic animals are also created through the genetic engineering process so that researchers can study disease more effectively, allowing experimentation on animals rather than human subjects ("Cloning"). Thanks to this cloning process, sufficient numbers of animal subjects can be created to efficiently develop treatments and cures — far more so than if scientists had to rely on naturally occurring diseased subjects. Without cloning, diseases would go untreated, many medicinal compounds could not be manufactured, and new treatments, especially for rarer diseases, would not be developed.

Non-medicinal rewards are also reaped through cloning. Transgenic goats can produce the dragline form of spider silk, the strongest material known — twice as strong as Kevlar. Farming this material through its natural producers, spiders, is inefficient due to their aggressive and highly territorial nature; spiders often eat each other. However, by splicing spider DNA into mammary gland tissue, goats are able to produce silk proteins in their milk, which can then be spun into a fine thread ("Cloning"). Whether this superior thread is woven into bulletproof vests to protect law enforcement officers and soldiers, or used in surgical applications, without cloning it would simply not be economically feasible to mass-produce the material.

Cloning of cells is the next level up from DNA cloning. This type of cloning is necessary for therapeutic purposes, as it enables the production of cells, tissues, or organs that are a perfect genetic match for their intended recipient. Without it, many patients could not be successfully treated, and many more would never receive a cure for the debilitating diseases and conditions they suffer from. The most significant controversy usually focuses on the use of human embryonic stem cells, where the nucleus of an egg cell is removed and replaced by the nucleus of a body cell from the intended recipient. The egg is then allowed to develop to the embryo stage, at which point stem cells — which can be developed into any type of cell — are extracted.

In 2002, the first cloned kidney organ was successfully transplanted into a cow, and embryonic stem cells were subsequently used to successfully treat sickle cell anemia in mice by correcting the genetic mutation that causes the life-threatening disease ("Cloning"). Without cloning, none of this would be possible. Cloning is among the best technologies available to cure diseases at the genetic level ("After Dolly"), as demonstrated by these sickle cell anemia developments.

As Hopkins notes, embryo cloning should be permitted, provided that the research is properly regulated. The benefits it could bring to controlling and curing severe illnesses — where at present there is no hope — far outweigh arguments about safety and ethics. Is it ethical not to help someone who is suffering from a disease? If the cells from one embryo can help treat or even cure serious diseases that are killing people every day, isn't it worth trying? Placing the "right" of a handful of embryonic cells above that of the millions of humans who could benefit does not weigh up morally (Hopkins). It is an evolutionary step for humankind; eventually stem cells should be self-replicating, and the need for embryonic and fetal tissue will no longer be necessary.