2012 National DNA Day Online Chatroom Transcript
This is just one question from an archive of the National DNA Day Moderated Chat held in April 2012. The NHGRI Director and many genomics experts from across NHGRI took questions from students, teachers and the general public on topics ranging from basic genomic research, to the genetic basis of disease, to ethical questions about genetic privacy.
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Do you believe in cloning? Do you believe you are tampering with something that is not yours? From a religious standpoint, God created everything and shouldn't be altered.
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Brandon Colby:
I am the author of the book "Outsmart Your Genes", which discusses genetic testing and the personal genomics revolution. I am also the CEO & Medical Director of Existence Genetics, a company that provides comprehensive genetic testing services to healthcare professionals. I practice Predictive Medicine in Los Angeles, California.
I believe that cloning of tissues, such as heart cells or liver cells, may one day save millions of lives. This is because developing cloning technology that allows us to clone specific cells of a person and grow new organs may one day be a way for people who need organ transplants to get the organs they need. As of now, hundreds of thousands of people are on waiting lists for organ transplants because there is a shortage and many of them may die before they ever receive a new organ (such as a heart or a lung or a liver).
Cloning of an entire person, however, is much different and you are correct, there are many ethical and religious issues that arise when discussing this. I do, however, believe those issues primarily exist only when discussing cloning an entire person so it is important to understand that "cloning" may be used in many different ways and does not always mean cloning of an entire person. And as an update, so far a human being has NOT been cloned. (That I know of.) |
| McDowell Intermediate High School in PA (10th grade student) |
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