Therapeutic Cloning: Understanding Patient-Specific Cell Therapies

Therapeutic cloning is not reproductive cloning. The purpose is not to create a person, but a line of patient specific cells.

Therapeutic cloning

• In therapeutic cloning the nuclear material is taken from the somatic cell of the patient and put into an enucleated oocyte. The goal is to produce patient specific stem cell lines

Parkinson̵7;s Disease

• Parkinson̵7;s disease is a neurodegenerative disease. Scientists have been working on treatments. Animal studies seem to produce excellent results with therapeutic cloned cells and the process would transfer well to human studies.

Diabetes Mellitus

• In 2006, a designed protocol was created which allowed human stem cells to change into endocrine cells which produced pancreatic hormones. Since these hormones include insulin and glucagons, cell replacement therapy could treat diabetes.

Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

• DMD is an inherited single-gene disorder. Therapeutic cloning could create a patient specific cell line in which the defective gene could be corrected. Together with gene therapy it could restore normal functions and promote regeneration.

Other Effects

• Therapeutic cloning or nuclear transfer can help cure a disease, repair a genetic defect, cure an immune disorder or perhaps allow transplantation of genetically matched organs. It has applications in Alzheimer's, osteoporosis, cancer, genetic disorders, spinal chord regeneration, organ transplants, and even limb replacement.