Can therapeutic cloning ever really work?
More fundamentally, the ability of embryonic stem cells to offer therapeutic benefits is far from being demonstrated. Even if it were, the prospects for actually using cloned embryonic stem cells as part of a generally available medical procedure are highly problematic. The process of developing such “customized” stem cells would be time-consuming and perhaps prohibitively expensive. And no realistic or safe way has been proposed to obtain the millions of women’s eggs that would be needed to make embryonic stem cell therapies widely available. In short, there is no good reason that human cloning techniques need to be developed at this time. As a consequence, it is incorrect and misleading to suggest that taking a precautionary approach to cloning research would deny or delay potentially life-saving treatments for those suffering from such diseases as Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s. At the same time, the danger of abuse of human cloning techniques is immediate. The potential now exists for
