How does it Work?
Over time cloning has been met with conflicting reviews. Some believe it will have unforeseen consequences, while others believe it is the key to finding the cure for many diseases such as cancer or dementia.
Cloning is separated into two different types of groups: therapeutic and reproductive. Therapeutic deals with using cloning for strictly medical purposes. For example if someone was in the need for a new kidney, doctors would be able to take the DNA from the patient and the cells of a healthy kidney and 'grow' a new kidney specialized just for them. Reproductive cloning is more controversial because it deals with the cloning of a full organism. Animals like sheep, cattle, horses, cats, rabbits, pigs and donkeys have all been cloned. While human embryos have been cloned they have always been terminated before being brought to full term.
A method of cloning that is the most well known and controversial is the Nuclear Transfer Method. It involves removing the nucleus of a cell that has a complete gene and implanting it into a donor egg cell. The nucleus then develops inside the donor egg and the result is a cloned organism of the original. This method was used to create the world first cloned mammal, Dolly the sheep. This process is not full proof however. Out of the 277 attempts, only 29 embryos were produced, and only 1 was brought full term. Dolly only lived to be six years old, about half of the normal lifespan for a sheep, but in that time she was able to have a baby. Which allowed scientists and people everywhere to know that cloned animals can still reproduce.
There are multiple directions that cloning could take. Some believe it will be very beneficial in the research of diseases. And others feel it is immoral and uncontrollable. However most Canadians are somewhere in the middle. Cloning methods and technology are moving at a very quick rate and this could be cause for some concern. Respected organizations such as the Center for Genetic and Society are saying we should slow down. But we shouldn't ignore the possibilities of this new technology.