Human cloning

Human cloning is the creation of a geneticallyidentical copy of an existing or previously existinghuman. There are two commonly discussed types ofhuman cloning: therapeutic cloning and reproductivecloning. Therapeutic cloning involves cloning cellsfrom an adult for use in medicine and is an active area of research. Reproductivecloning would involve making cloned human beings. Such reproductive cloning has notbeen performed and is illegal in many countries. A third type of cloning called replacement cloning. It is a theoretical possibility, and would be a combination of therapeutic and reproductive cloning. Replacement cloning would entail the replacement of an extensively damaged, failed, or failing body through cloning followedby whole or partial brain transplant.

Some people and groups oppose therapeutic cloning, but most scientific, governmental and religious organizations oppose reproductive cloning. Many scientific organizations have made public statements suggesting that human reproductive cloning be banned until safety issues are resolved. Serious ethical concerns have been raised by the idea that it might be possible in the future to harvest organs from clones.

Some people have considered the idea of growing organs separately from a human organism - in doing this, a new organ supply could be established without the moral implications of harvesting them from humans.

American Cell Technologies created the first human hybrid human clone in November 1998. It was created from a man's leg cell, and a cow's egg whose DNA was removed. It was destroyed after 12 days.

On January 2008, Wood and Andrew French, Stemagen's chief scientific officer in California, announced that they successfully created the first 5 mature human embryos using DNA from adult skin cells, aiming to provide a source of viable embryonic stem

cells. It is not clear if the embryos produced would have been capable of further development, but Dr. Wood stated that if that were possible, using the technology for reproductive cloning would be both unethical and illegal. Thus, the 5 cloned embryos were destroyed.