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WHAT IS CLONING?
Before discussing whether cloning should be done or not, it is necessary to talk about what it is and for what purposes it is done.
Cloning is a technique used by scientists to make exact genetic copies of living things. Genes, cells, tissues, and even entire animals can be cloned. Animals are cloned in one of two ways. The first one is called “embryo twinning”. Scientists first divide an embryo into two. These two halves are then placed into the mother's uterus. Each part of the embryo develops into a unique animal, and the two animals share the same genes.
The second method is called “somatic cell nuclear transfer”. Somatic cells—any other cell in a multicellular organism other than a gamete, germ cell, gametocyte, or undifferentiated stem cell involved in reproduction—contain two complete sets of chromosomes. To make a clone, scientists extract DNA from an animal's somatic cell; and transfer it to an egg cell whose nucleus and DNA have been removed. The egg develops into an embryo containing the same genes as the cell donor. The embryo is then implanted into the uterus of an adult female to grow.
Cloning is basically done for two different purposes. The first of these; is cloning for reproductive purposes, and the second is cloning for therapeutic purposes. Reproductive cloning can also be done for two different purposes. The first is creating an identical twin of an individual, and the second is making an individual incapable of reproduction to have children. Artificial fertilization is performed by using the genetic information in any body cell for these purposes. In cloning for therapeutic purposes; New organs and tissues are produced with the help of stem cells obtained from the created embryos. Produced tissues and organs are used to repair or replace diseased organs and tissues.
Cloning technology can reproduce an animal with a superior genetic structure but cannot produce offspring for any reason or is about to die.
It can be used to maintain the current biological balance by reproducing endangered animals.
By producing transgenic (genetically modified) animals:
-They are resistant to diseases, so they can be long-lived and healthy.
-They can be enabled to produce medically important proteins (insulin, interferon, etc.).
-The organs and cells of these animals can be transplanted into the human body.
-Thanks to these animals, new therapies can be applied and new drugs can be tested for disease models.
However, cloning a human cannot be considered as a simple process as it is in animals. The moral, legal, religious, cultural, and social dimensions of human cloning cannot be ignored.
ETHICAL AND LEGAL APPROACH
Undoubtedly, cloning has both positive and negative consequences. For example, it can help homosexual and infertile couples to have biological children and to investigate some diseases in depth (therapeutic cloning). Embryonic stem cells can be cloned to produce tissues or organs to replace or repair damaged ones. This technique will give the opportunity to produce vital tissues and organs such as heart valves, liver, kidneys, and pancreas. This can be seen as hope for many patients.
Unlike therapeutic copying, reproductive copying is rejected by a broad segment of the public. Reproductive and therapeutic cloning are essentially indistinguishable from each other. The copying technique is the same. The desired result in reproductive cloning is to create a human with a certain gene structure. Sometimes productive copying can take over the function of therapeutic copying. For example, a person who has lost his kidneys can be copied for reproductive purposes, and when one kidney of the resulting copy is used in the treatment of the patient, the reproductive copying takes over the treatment function.
In both cases, the individual's purpose will be determined in advance by someone else, and the individual will be used for the interests of third parties. In Kant's understanding of morality, it is important to never see humans as just a tool, but especially as an end, and cloning makes humans instrumental. This definitely harms human dignity.
A racist mentality that sees groups from other cultures around the world as obliged to serve itself can also abuse copying without any moral concern.
In addition to the high failure rate, it should not be forgotten that viable clones are exposed to "large offspring syndrome", respiratory failure, kidney, liver, heart, and brain defects, obesity, and early death.
If cloning becomes widespread, the existing "genetic diversity" will disappear and thus the "natural balance" will be disrupted. Cloning will deal a blow to the human genetic pool. In the future, the immunity of the human race will decrease and susceptibility to many diseases may be observed. So, human cloning also has negative medical consequences.
When evaluating the positive and negative consequences of human cloning, human cloning should not be done because the negatives remain in the majority and it is ethically unacceptable.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
https://evrimagaci.org/somatik-hucre-vucut-hucresi-6751
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Somatic_cell_nuclear_transfer
Lanza RP, Cibelli JB, Diaz F, Moraes CT, Farin PW, Farin CE, Hammer CJ, West MD, Damiani P. Cloning of an endangered species (Bos gaurus) using interspecies nuclear transfer.
Paterson L, DeSousa P, Ritchie W, King T, Wimut IA. Aplication of reproductive biotechnology in animals: implications and potentials application of reproductive cloning.
Mccreath KJ, Howcroft J, Campell KH, Colman A, Schnicke AE, King AJ. Production of gene-targeted sheep by nuclear transfer from cultured somatic cells.
Hipp J, Atala A. Tissue Engineering, Stem Cells, Cloning and Parthenogenesis: New Paradigms for Therapy. Journal of Experimental & Clinical Assisted Reproduction
https://jag.journalagent.com/adlitip/pdfs/adlitip_21_2_31_45.pdf
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