Human Cloning

The so-called somatic mutations that occur after several cell divisions in normal individuals are thought to contribute to the ageing process, as well as to the increased incidence of cancer as the individual ages. Some leading proponents of human cloning suggest that the technology may someday be possible to reverse the aging process, and for many more infertile couples to have children than ever before. Infertile couples have a higher baseline risk of a sick offspring when conceived using the in vitro fertilization processes; a hypothetical cloning could make the risk even higher.

The topic of human cloning is a matter of continuing discussion. Given that a healthy cloned human could be produced someday, a clone will never be exactly like the original, as many factors including epigenetic controls, the environment, and the extranucleus (or mithocondrial) DNA are not identical in the clone. In December 2002, a private company, Clonaid, announced the birth of the first cloned human, a 7lb (3.2-kg) girl nicknamed Eve. The announcement was met with scepticism in the scientific community, as Clonaid is funded by the Raelians, a religious sect whose tenants hold that humans were initially cloned from extra-terrestrial visitors to Earth. Despite Clonaid claims of forthcoming scientific evidence explaining the successful human clone, no evidence was presented to the international scientific community, and the claim was dismissed as a hoax. The Clonaid incident sparked legislative efforts in several countries to ban human cloning, especially for reproductive purposes. As of 2003, despite backing by United States President George W. Bush, the Unites States has no federal laws banning human cloning as asexual reproduction. Federal funds may not be used for human cloning, however, and further legislation is pending. Several states have clarified their laws, or banned human cloning outright.