What is therapeutic cloning? How is it different from reproductive cloning?
Therapeutic cloning, also known as somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT), consists of several steps. Firstly, a donor egg must be obtained from a female. The genetic material is then extracted from the egg. A somatic cell from an adult body – often, a skin cell – is obtained from another donor. The genetic material is extracted from the somatic cell, and injected into the egg, which is then stimulated to begin embryonic growth. Once the embryo has grown to the blastocyst stage four to five days later, the inner cell mass is extracted, yielding embryonic stem cells which are genetically identical to the somatic cell donor. This procedure has been successfully completed with many species, and was recently claimed by scientists in South Korea to have been achieved in human cells. However, this work has now been discredited, following reports in the press of irregularities in the human egg donation process, and subsequent resignation of the lead scientist amid allegations of fraud. The Kore
Related Questions
- With confusion about the different kinds of cloning, what is to prevent ruthless people from performing full-fledged, reproductive cloning under the guise of therapeutic cloning?
- Why is human cloning, reproductive or therapeutic, ethically unacceptable?
- How is SCNT Different from Reproductive Cloning?
