1. Korea's recent unveiling of the world's first cloned dog was welcomed by King Chow, assistant professor of biotechnology at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, but he also warned that we need to be on guard against possible reproductive cloning. Professor Chow went on to explain that, “The development of the technology is a good thing in itself but how we monitor it and who we allow to use it will be of great importance”.
2. Professor Chow is one of many academics who feel that a clear line must be drawn between reproductive cloning and therapeutic cloning. Therapeutic cloning involves the use of embryonic stem cells to develop human cells or organs that can be used to cure diseases such as Parkinson's and diabetes. People in wheelchairs may be able to walk again thanks to this technology as scientists believe that they can clone new cells to repair back and neck injuries.
3. Reproductive cloning involves implanting a cloned embryo into a uterus in the hope of producing a healthy foetus. A company called Clonaid claims to have successfully cloned thirteen human babies. They say that all of the babies are healthy and are in various locations, including Hong Kong, UK, Spain and Brazil. Clonaid states that they are using human cloning to assist infertile couples, homosexual couples and families who have lost a beloved relative.
4. The same technology can be used for animal cloning. If endangered species such as the giant panda and Sumatran tiger could be cloned, they could be saved from extinction. Livestock such as cows could also be cloned to allow farmers to reproduce cattle that produce the best meat and most milk. This could greatly help developing countries where cows produce significantly less meat and milk