Current Applications of Cloning
1) One current application of cloning is that of cattle, sheep (like Dolly, pictured), cat, deer, dog, horse, mule, ox, rabbit, rat and rhesus monkey. After 276 attempts, Scottish researchers finally produced Dolly, the lamb from the udder cell of a 6-year-old sheep. Two years later, researchers in Japan cloned eight calves from a single cow, but only four survived. Besides these cloning, some animals are being cloned to build populations of endangered or extinct animals. In 2003, an endangered ox called the Banteg was successfully cloned. Three African wildcats have also been cloned. Although experts think cloning could save many species, some argue that having a genetic variation is necessary for survival.
2) Scientists have successfully produced cows that are engineered to synthesize medicinal proteins, which can be secreted in large quantities into the milk or the blood. Since it is rather difficult to engineer individual cows (also called "transgenic" cows) to carry the genetic alteration required for drug production, once they produced and quality controls tests are performed, they can be produced in large quantities by cloning. The desired protein drug products can then be harvested from the milk and further purified for use in patients.
2) Scientists have successfully produced cows that are engineered to synthesize medicinal proteins, which can be secreted in large quantities into the milk or the blood. Since it is rather difficult to engineer individual cows (also called "transgenic" cows) to carry the genetic alteration required for drug production, once they produced and quality controls tests are performed, they can be produced in large quantities by cloning. The desired protein drug products can then be harvested from the milk and further purified for use in patients.
Potential Applications of Cloning
1) A possible use of cloning is to clone animals for testing new drugs and treatment strategies. The great advantage of using cloned animals for drug testing is that they are all genetically identical, which means their responses to the drugs should be uniform rather than variable as seen in animals with different genetic make-ups, this gives more accurate results.
2) Another potential application of cloning is genetically modifying animals so that their cells and organs can be transplanted into humans. Normally, cells or organs from one individual (even one of the same species) will be rejected by another; the human recognizes the implant as foreign because of differences in surface molecules on the cells. It is then rejected by the body's defense mechanisms and destroyed, just as if it were a disease-causing organism. Genetic modification can be used to disguise an animal's cells and organs and thereby reduce or even eliminate rejection of the implant. Thousands of people die every year because of the unavailability of human organs for transplantation. Genetically modified animal organs could begin to fill this need.
2) Another potential application of cloning is genetically modifying animals so that their cells and organs can be transplanted into humans. Normally, cells or organs from one individual (even one of the same species) will be rejected by another; the human recognizes the implant as foreign because of differences in surface molecules on the cells. It is then rejected by the body's defense mechanisms and destroyed, just as if it were a disease-causing organism. Genetic modification can be used to disguise an animal's cells and organs and thereby reduce or even eliminate rejection of the implant. Thousands of people die every year because of the unavailability of human organs for transplantation. Genetically modified animal organs could begin to fill this need.
