Paige Roberson | December 26th, 2024
Scientists have discovered a way to ethically and consistently clone stem cells, a unique type of cell capable of turning into different types of cells in the body. Importantly, they can be used to regenerate damaged tissues or organs. One issue doctors face in stem cell treatments is the risk of rejection by the patient’s body, which views the stem cells as foreign objects. In a stem cell implantation method called therapeutic cloning, also known as somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT), the risk of immune rejection is reduced because these cells will be patient-specific. This could allow for things such as replacement skin to be made for burn victims or replacement heart muscle cells for heart attack victims, thus restoring their health. Thus, therapeutic cloning has the potential to save and improve many lives morally and steadily.
An introduction to therapeutic cloning
Therapeutic cloning is the process of cloning human cells, genes, and other tissues. Therapeutic cloning occurs by removing the nucleus of an egg cell, replacing it with the nucleus of a cell from another body tissue, and stimulating cell division. This cell division results in stem cells that can be placed into damaged body tissues, where they then differentiate into the specific cell types of that area.
When egg cells divide, they proliferate the DNA contained in their nuclei. In therapeutic cloning, this trait is exploited to create more healthy cells for a specific patient by placing their DNA into the donor egg cell. This causes the patient’s body to recognize the cells as their own, which prevents their immune system from attacking the new cells.
One potential application for therapeutic cloning is for patients with damaged insulin-producing cells, which is one cause of type 1 diabetes. Through therapeutic cloning, patient-specific stem cells can be produced and then differentiated into functional insulin-producing cells. These cells can then be injected into the patient to replace their damaged cells, essentially curing their diabetes and enhancing their quality of life.
The ethics of therapeutic cloning and a possible solution
Although therapeutic cloning has the ability to revolutionize the treatment of many ailments, many still question the ethics of its procedures and the feasibility of making it widely available. Since SCNT requires healthy egg cells from women, it puts undue pressure on women to sell their eggs for the sake of science, despite the removal of eggs being a painful process with various health risks. Additionally, many organizations and governments prohibit the use of grant money to purchase these eggs from donors, therefore forcing scientists to halt their research efforts or find new sources of funding.
These concerns led to the creation of an embryo-free alternative called induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells. These are made by adding outside DNA to an adult cell to revert it back to an undifferentiated, pluripotent stem cell state.
In order to fight the need for DNA from a source other than the patient, scientists have also discovered a way to turn adult cells into the equivalent of an embryonic stem cell. Known as stimulus-triggered acquisition of pluripotency (STAP), this technique was discovered when Charles Vacanti hypothesized that injuring adult cells would naturally turn them into stem cells that could be turned into any cell type. By testing this hypothesis, it was found that adult cells that were exposed to nearly fatal stresses, such as low-oxygen environments and acidic environments, were able to survive by reverting to a state that is equivalent to an embryonic stem cell. Furthermore, these cells were able to mature into any type of cell depending on their new environment. For the time being, the method using egg cells works more efficiently with current technologies, but the STAP method provides scientists reason to be encouraged moving forward.
Vanderbilt University is at the forefront of research in therapeutic cloning, contributing valuable insights into its ethical applications and potential benefits for regenerative medicine. The institution’s pioneering work aims to address the ethical concerns surrounding egg donation and enhance the efficiency of stem cell therapies, ensuring that advances in this field can lead to real-world health solutions.
Therapeutic cloning provides humans with the possibility to have longer and healthier lifespans. This promising method of cloning would allow patients’ partially dead organs to be regenerated, and the success rates of organ transplants would increase because patients’ immune systems would no longer attack the new cells entering their bodies. This would also diminish waitlists for organ transplants because matches would be more readily available for patients. The great possibilities that therapeutic cloning offers lead many to believe that it is the future of life-saving medicine.
References
Biotechnology Innovation Organization. “The Value of Therapeutic Cloning for Patients.” Biotechnology Innovation Organization, https://archive.bio.org/articles/value-therapeutic-cloning-patients.
Vogel, Gretchen, and Gretchen VogelView all articles by this author. “Therapeutic Cloning Reaches Milestone.” Science, 2 May 2014, https://www.science.org/doi/full/10.1126/science.344.6183.462.
Schroth, Lori J. “Researchers Create Embryonic Stem Cells without Embryo.” Harvard Gazette, Harvard Gazette, 16 Apr. 2019, https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2014/01/researchers-create-embryonic-stem-cells-without-embryo/.
