Human Cloning

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Human Cloning

• Whats it all about?
• Robin B. Reed, Ph.D.
• Department of Chemistry
• Austin Peay State University

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What do you think of when you hear the word
CLONING?
One person goes in, two people come out Two
people go in, four people come out
Creation of an Army of Clones? Engineered to
fearlessly fight to the death
Clones instead of babies (reproduction option)
Clones for body parts
Clones that take your place and live your life
A person of identical looks, abilities, feelings,
memories
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What Influences Our Views of Cloning?
Media

• Movies

Books
News
TV
Church
Celebrities
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Movies that have Clones
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956, 1978)
The Boys from Brazil (1978)
Jurassic Park (1993)
Multiplicity (1996)
Star Wars II Attack of the Clones (2001)
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TV Shows that have Clones

• Star Trek

X-Files
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Why Clone at All?

• Medical research

Pharmaceuticals
Genetic Cloning
Therapeutic Cloning
Reproduction
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The Facts About Cloning

• NOT a new idea or concept in science

A baby of identical genetic make-up must be
produced
Two methods successful thus far
Embryo Splitting
Nuclear Transfer
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Embryo Splitting

• Physical division of embryo into cells ready for
  implantation in surrogate mother

Limited number of identical cells, therefore
limited number of clones to be produced
Not true cloning -offspring are identical to each
other but NOT identical to an adult
Also called scientific twinning
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Nuclear Transfer

• A short history.

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Nuclear Transfer (continued)

• 1997 Ian Wilmut nucleus of an adult female
  sheep mammary gland cell transplanted into
  enucleated egg.
• Live birth of lamb (Dolly) demonstrates
  ability of adult cell (differentiated) to direct
  development of normal, cloned organism
• Success rate very low
• (1 of 227)

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More Nuclear Transfers

• 1997 Oregon Regional Primate Research Center -
  Two Rhesus monkey clones (Mimi and Kiki) born
  after nuclear transplantation from 8-cell embryo

Cattle (1998) Mice (1998) Goats (1999) Pigs
(2000) Cats (2001)
All from differentiated cells
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Are Humans NEXT to be Cloned?

• 1999 Richard Seed, M.D. announces plans to
  develop nuclear transplantation technique for
  humans
• estimates 200,000 clones per year for
  reproduction
• 2005 Ian Wilmut group granted license (U.K) for
  therapeutic cloning of human embryos

Problems with nuclear transfer very low
efficiency (1) high frequency of developmental
abnormalities
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Recent Advances in Human Cloning
Report of first embryonic clones of an adult
primate at the Oregon Regional Primate Research
Center
Reports of cloning of Human Embryo Advanced Cell
Technology claims to have cloned an early human
embryo from an adult cumulus cell nucleus
(embryos only developed to 6 cells) research
aimed at therapeutic cloning
Embryo Splitting Produces Cloned Monkey
More News
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Celebrities Speak Up

• Id like to clone myself because then I would be
  able to do the 50 movies a year that I want to
  do.

John Travolta
Im not for it. People are one-of-a kind
creations. Maybe Id clone these Diamond
earrings or my Rolex watch
Halle Berry
I would love to have another me. That would be
cool. Someone who could go do the movie while I
chill at home and get the check. And then if he
was upset about it, Id just make another one
just like him.
Will Smith
You know, Ive known about cloning for a long
time. In the Deep South, its called cousins.
Robin Williams
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Would you clone yourself?

• 7 YES
• 91 NO
• (Time/CNN poll conducted 2/26/97)