Producing Embryonic Stem Cells

Producing Embryonic Stem Cells Using Nuclear Transfer Is Not the Same as Reproductive Cloning

The use of nuclear transfer to develop disease-specific stem cells can be called research cloning, and the use of this technique  for personalized tissue transplants  is sometimes called therapeutic  cloning. These terms must be carefully distinguished from reproductive cloning,
in which the intent is to implant  a cloned embryo in a female’s womb  and allow it to develop fully into
an individual. This was the technique  by which Dolly the sheep was made and is now widely used for reproductive cloning  in animals. In humans, however, reproductive cloning  has been actively discouraged by most in the scientific community. The National Academies conclud- ed, “Human  reproductive cloning  should not now be practiced. It is dangerous and likely to fail” in the

2002 report Scientific and Medical Aspects of Human

Although   using  nuclear  transfer   to  produce   stem cells is not  the same as reproductive cloning,  some are concerned  about  the potential misapplication of the  technique   for  reproductive  cloning  purposes. Other  ethical  considerations include  egg donation, which requires informed consent, and the possible destruction of blastocysts.