Human Cloning Project

Human cloning has not yet been performed and is highly controversial.

Several techniques are in use by which human genetic material is replicated in the lab. Currently the reproduction of human DNA is limited to research applications and no human beings have yet been cloned.

Recombinant DNA Technology

Also called DNA cloning, this process involves the transfer of a small piece of the genome from one organism into another organism. This technique is often used to put a gene of interest into bacteria, which can then replicate the gene to make enough to study. It is also used to genetically modify crops to give them beneficial characteristics found in another organism.

Therapeutic Cloning

Therapeutic cloning involves the production of human embryos that can be used to harvest stem cells, study human development and treat diseases. In 2001, biotechnology company Advanced Cell Technologies managed to create an embryo that only managed to divide into six cells before stopping.

Reproductive Cloning

Reproductive cloning, the process by which Dolly the sheep was made in 1997, involves removing the genetic material from the nucleus of an adult somatic (body) cell and transferring it into an egg whose nucleus has been removed. While there are claims that fertility doctor Panayiotis Zavos and the religious sect-based Clonaid company have cloned human beings, these are unconfirmed.

References

• Human Genome Project Information: Cloning Fact Sheet
• CNN: Baby 'Clone' To Return Home Monday
• BBC: Human Cloning Attempt Has Failed