Scientists in South Korea have reported in the journal Science, that
they have developed an efficient method of producing stem cells from
cloned human embryos. Dr. Woo Suk Hwang and Dr. Shin Yong Moon of Seoul
National University, who led the group of researchers, were able to
produce 11 human stem cell lines that are genetically identical to the
donors. This is a marked improvement from the group’s previous method,
which was far more painstaking and was met with skepticism. The main
improvements involved methods in cell culturing, a more economical use
of human eggs per cell line development, and success using genetic
material from donors regardless of their health or age. Researchers in
the field are praising this as major breakthrough in therapeutic
cloning. However, this new development has agitated old moral and
ethical arguments that have stalked therapeutic cloning from the
beginning. Critics of therapeutic cloning have often questioned the
morality of creating human embryos only to destroy them and harvest
their stem cells. Furthermore, critics fear that this will eventually
lead to the cloning of human babies. The South Korean group defends,
that their work is solely for the advancement of medicine and have
stated that raising cloned babies should be banned worldwide.
Proponents hope that this advancement will lead to the development of
new cures and treatments, which would be invaluable in their own right,
and would hopefully temper the moral debate by showing the benefits of
the therapy. Interestingly, it maybe the stigma attached to the term
“cloning” that people fear. In a Gallup poll, 38 percent surveyed
approved of using cloned embryos for research. However, when “somatic
cell nuclear transfer” replaced the term “cloning”, the approval rating
increased to 72 percent. Despite this, it is apparent that it will take
more than re-labeling the process to win opponents over.