Is adult human DNA cloning possible?
One of many concerns with human cloning is that cloning of animals sometimes cause fetal overgrowth (aka large-offspring syndrome.) The fetus grows unusually large and generally dies just before or after birth. They have under-developed lungs and reduced immunity to infection. Duke University researchers announced on 2001-AUG-15 that this particular problem would not exist in humans. The DNA of all primates, such as humans, monkeys and apes, have two copies of a gene that regulates fetal growth, whereas almost all other animals have only one. This spare copy should prevent fetal overgrowth in cloned human fetuses. Randy Jirtle, professor of radiation oncology at Duke University in Durham, NC, said: “It’s going to be probably easier to clone us than it would be to clone these other animals because you don’t have this problem — not easy, but easier.” 7 Kevin Eggan, of MIT’s Whitehead Institute works with cloned mice. He called the Duke study “interesting from the perspective of the evo
