What is the goal of cloning?
Therapeutic cloning may be of great interest in the creation of embryonic stem cells for research and therapy. It could lead to the production of tissues for potential transplantation or replacement of defective or dead cells. The cells composing a cloned embryo are immunologically compatible with the adult cell donor. It is thus possible to extract stem cells from a cloned embryo and graft them on the donor without the risk of graft rejection. This procedure is currently used to treat burn victims. Another use for therapeutic cloning is to test new drugs and treatment strategies. Indeed, cloned cells or animals present the advantage of uniformity of drug response. Finally, reproductive cloning could be a solution available for sterile or homosexual couples wanting to have genetically related children.
