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Home > Science > What is the Difference Between Therapeutic Cloning and Reproductive Cloning?

Guilherme Mazui

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What is the Difference Between Therapeutic Cloning and Reproductive Cloning?

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The main difference between therapeutic cloning and reproductive cloning lies in their purposes and outcomes:

Therapeutic Cloning:

  • The purpose is to generate and direct the differentiation of patient-specific cell lines isolated from an embryo not intended for transfer in utero.
  • Involves creating a cloned embryo for the sole purpose of producing embryonic stem cells.
  • These stem cells can be used in experiments aimed at understanding disease and developing new treatments.
  • No evidence of human embryos being produced for therapeutic cloning has been reported.

Reproductive Cloning:

  • The goal is the creation of a person, producing a genetically identical individual.
  • Involves creating an animal that is genetically identical to a donor animal through somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT).
  • The newly created embryo is placed back into the uterine environment where it can implant and develop.
  • Many countries have banned reproductive cloning in humans due to ethical concerns, miscarriages, premature aging, and severe congenital disabilities.

Both therapeutic and reproductive cloning share many of the same techniques, but they are done for different purposes and have different outcomes.

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  • What is the Difference Between Therapeutic Cloning and Reproductive Cloning?
  • Comparative Table: Therapeutic Cloning vs Reproductive Cloning

    • Comparative Table: Therapeutic Cloning vs Reproductive Cloning

    Here is a table comparing the differences between therapeutic cloning and reproductive cloning:

    Feature Therapeutic Cloning Reproductive Cloning
    Purpose Used for medical treatment purposes, such as generating organs or repairing damaged tissues Used for reproductive purposes, creating an identical copy of an entire organism
    Process Involves the process 'somatic cell nuclear transfer,' where an egg is taken and its nucleus is removed, and another nucleus is added Involves artificially-induced asexual reproduction, creating a clone of an entire organism
    End Result Produces embryonic stem cells (ESCs) for potential medical applications Produces a whole new copy of an organism, genetically identical to the donor
    Ethical Considerations Less controversial due to its medical applications, but still questioned More controversial due to its reproductive purposes and potential impact on the cloned individual's identity

    Both therapeutic and reproductive cloning share a similar process, but their end results and purposes are different. Therapeutic cloning is used for medical treatment purposes, while reproductive cloning is used for reproductive purposes. The ethical implications of both types of cloning are still questioned.

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    Guilherme Mazui

    Guilherme Mazui is graduated in journalism from the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG) and a master's degree in Communication from the University of São Paulo (USP). In addition, he has experience in advertising writing and has worked as a content editor in several companies.