With the consistent advancement of technology over the past several decades, many fields of research, such as animal cloning, have been frequently progressing and making new discoveries. This topic did not become popular until researchers managed to clone a sheep, whose name was “Dolly the sheep”. Cloning involves the production of animals that are genetically identical to the donor cells (Wells 251). This topic is highly debated because many people support animal cloning because of what benefits it holds once it is successful, whereas many others reject animal cloning because of what the animals must go through both during and after the cloning process. Animal cloning research should continue due to its possible benefits to society once it becomes successful with no human or animal health risks. 

The most common approach to animal cloning involves the nuclear transfer of somatic cells. For this process, a cell desired to be cloned is placed next to a smaller somatic cell inside an empty egg. Then an electrical charge is sent through the egg which damages the membrane between the cells. This causes the nucleus of the first cell to dump into the empty egg. Chemicals are then added which fool the egg into thinking it has been fertilized which makes it begin to divide thus creating a preimplantation embryo. This embryo can either be placed into a petri dish thus creating embryonic stem cells, which are the master cells of the body, or it can be placed into a surrogate animal which then creates an entire organism. The other approach to cloning involves cell reprogramming which creates pluripotent stem cells (IPS cells) which can also develop into organisms (Kato and Tsunoda). With these approaches, there are two types of cloning, interspecies cloning and intraspecies cloning. The difference between the two is that intraspecies cloning involves cloning using two different species of animals. This can be done by taking a DNA sample of one species, adding transcription factors turning them into IPS cells, and then these cells develop into either sperm or egg (“The use of cloning…). With this technique, scientists can freeze, store and preserve mammalian cells for extended periods of time and then use them as donor cells which means that animals that have died can be cloned (Scientific Aspects of…). 

Many of those who reject animal cloning reason that the health problems developed by the animals from the cloning process is the main reason for their disapproval. Researchers continue to have low success rates many of the cloned animals develop substantial health problems (Gjerris and Vajta). They are still trying to discover an ideal environment for a cloned zygote to be in (Scientific Aspects of…). After the cloning process, many of the animals abort the cloned embryo at various stages of pregnancy (Kato and Tsunoda). Few cloning attempts are successful but those animals who do survive tend to die young (Sohn). In Japan, researchers cloned one hundred and thirty-four animals and of those animals, only forty-six percent ended up giving birth while the rest had abortions at various stages of pregnancy. Another research group tried cloning a larger group of animals which resulted in two hundred and forty-four calves being produced. But only one hundred and sixteen of those calves are still alive because the majority of the other calves were stillborn or died within several months of parturition due to immune system dysfunction and other body system problems (Kato and Tsunoda). For the cloned animals that do live after the process, they are usually forced to live in an exhibit to be studied by researchers in order to record any new findings (Fiester). These are many of the reasons why people are against the topic of animal cloning. They believe that animals should not be forced to undergo the cloning process due to the high risk of abortion, future health problems, and death. Data from polls have shown that approximately sixty four percent of people are uncomfortable with animal cloning whereas only twenty-two percent of people are comfortable with it (Scott Nolen). Many organizations have sought different ways to limit the amount of research performed on animal cloning. Some of these organizations have filed petitions to the FDA to review the food produced by cloned animals and the health risks caused by cloning in attempt to end animal cloning (Scott Nolen). Using data from ten interviews with fellow students, forty percent of the students were uncomfortable with animal cloning once informed of the cloning process and data from other studies (Brandano, Clary, Karnazes, Kirkland). The other six students supported animal cloning (Desane, Etzerodt, Fowler, Leahy, Lohman, Wahl). Those students who were uncomfortable with animal cloning said the part that makes them feel uncomfortable is that animals are being made in a lab and not by normal reproduction. Besides that, three fourths of those students who were uncomfortable with animal cloning, supported everything else related to animal cloning (Brandano, Clary, Kirkland). This data shows how many of those who are uncomfortable with animal cloning, are only uncomfortable with the fact that the animals are being made in labs and not by normal means of reproduction. Other than that, these people support animal cloning because of what possible benefits there are once it becomes successful with no health risk to people or the animals. The harsh treatments the animals must endure is the core reason for the public overall being against the idea of animal cloning (Fiester). Many of the animals used for cloning receive poor treatment and end up acquiring health problems which a lot of times leads to death. This is why many people believe animal cloning is unethical and wrong. 

Though many of the animals receive poor treatment, develop health problems or die, significant new developments are frequently being made/published (Scientific Aspects of…). Once researchers discover how to clone animals with no health risks for the animal or cloned embryo, the world will be able to benefit in a variety of ways regarding agriculture, medicine, the economy, people, and general animal health. “The application possibilities of cloning in research, industry and agriculture are theoretically almost limitless”. Transcription factors will allow animals to be made with high valued traits such as good meat or a large production of milk and improved quality of milk (Gjerris and Vajita). Candidate breeding will allow animals to be created resistant to the mastitis infection and will allow bulls to only produce male or female offspring. Animal cloning will allow researchers to produce cows with specific genes allowing them to produce more milk. This means that farmers will not be forced to own as many cows to produce a certain amount of milk. Farmers will also be able to take advantage of cloning when their livestock can be created resistant to specific diseases thus allowing farmers to not have to stuff their livestock with antibiotics. Since the livestock will be less likely to acquire diseases, farmers will not have to waste meat and put down as many diseased animals. This will save farmers a lot of money and will reduce the health risk of people eating the meat from these cloned animals because people will not be eating meat from animals who consumed a lot of antibiotics (Sohn). The cloning of animals with specific desired traits greatly assists farmers not only benefits the farmers financially, but also the well-being and health of the animals since they can be made immune to diseases commonly found among livestock.

Along with agricultural benefits, there are many possible medical benefits of animal cloning. Transgenic animals are cloned animals whose genes were directed inserted into their genome. This type of cloned animals could produce specific proteins in their milk which could be used for medical use and treatment (Kato and Tsunoda). Cloning animals could also be taken advantage of by using the cloned animals to test different treatment methods and for disease research in order to further our understanding of specific diseases. With cloning, bioreactors can be created which produce human proteins that can be utilized as medicine. Transplantation technology can also play a key role in organ transplants. Cloning could allow animals to be created with organs suitable to function in the human body. This technology would greatly decrease the number of patients waiting for an organ transplant (Gjerris and Vajta). As of today, researchers have managed to clone a sheep that is able to produce milk with a certain human protein that is essential for blood clotting. Hopefully in the future, this will be able to be utilized by people who have problems related to blood clotting. Another use for cloning animals is for testing of new drugs and treatment strategies (Cloning Fact Sheet). Animal cloning will be able to provide many medical benefits to those with health problems it will assist research for different drugs and treatment strategies. 

The production of cloned animals for food purposes has proposed many concerns about the health risks for people. But studies have shown that there are no significant biological differences in the meat or milk of normal animals and cloned animals. The United States Federal Drug Administration (FDA) has determined that the food and milk produced from cloned animals are safe to eat. They have also determined that though animal cloning causes potential health risks to the animals, the health risks of the people who consume the animal’s meat or milk is not qualitatively more than the risks caused by the natural breeding or assisted breeding of the animals. Currently, the FDA is working on a report to allow the products of cloned animals to enter the food market (Gjerris and Vajta). Though cloned animals are not made naturally, the meat and milk from these animals provide the same health risks to people as meat and milk from naturally born animals. Cloned animals are also able to be made that produce less phosphate in their manure. This would benefit the world because with less phosphate in the manure of animals, environmental pollution will decrease (Gjerris and Vajta). Though many people are concerned of the safety of the food produced by cloned animals, studies have shown that there are no additional risks compared to food produced by naturally born animals. 

As stated earlier, one of the most common reasons for people not supporting animal cloning is because of the health and treatment of the animals. But once researchers can clone animals without any health problems for potential health risks in the future, the animals will be able to benefit from the cloning process rather than have a high chance of developing any health problems. Animal clones who are transgenic can be kept free of many known bacteria and viruses. The animals would have certain genes making them immune to specific bacteria and viruses which would benefit them greatly. Since these clones are able to be made with certain desired traits, herders and farmers will more easily be able to improve the genetic quality of a herd. This would help prevent farmers and herders from killing animals that do not possess good genes or traits (Gjerris and Vajta). This ability to create animals with desired traits has also sparked interest in people. Many people have shown interest in having their pets cloned in attempt to replace a deceased pet (Cloning Fact Sheet). Many people lose pets whom they loved dearly. With animal cloning, it would make it seem like their previous pet never went away. They will be able to have the same feelings with their new pet because their new pet will be genetically identical with similar traits compared to their previous pet. Cloning could also be used for sterile couples who have dreams of one day having a child. Cloning will allow these sterile couples to finally have their dream child that they always wanted because researchers will be able to create an embryo with genes from both parents. Therapeutic cloning allows the creation of new embryonic stem cells with specific properties allowing them to be turned into any type of cell in the body. Therefore, they could set the groundwork for research on utilizing these cells for a variety of treatments and cures to different diseases. In a scenario where a person had a heart attack, approximately one third of their heart would be dead by the time they reached the hospital. With therapeutic cloning, scientists would be able to take a sample of their DNA, inject it into donated human eggs, and create stem cells able to form heart muscle cells. These cells would then be able to be transplanted in the heart attack victim’s heart without risk of rejection form their body. These cells would replace the deceased cells thus returning the heart attack victim back to normal health (The Value of Therapeutic Cloning…). In a recent study, researchers discovered that therapeutic cloning can be used to treat Parkinson’s in mice. The researchers cloned mice with individually matched stem cell dopamine neurons, which are the same neurons missing from Parkinson’s disease. The mice who received the dopamine neurons were cured from Parkinson’s disease and continued to survive (Memorial Sloan-Kettering…). Research in animal cloning has allowed researchers to discover ways to create cloned animals with specific genes that improve their overall health and cure them from diseases that are commonly found among humans. With continual research, researchers will eventually be able to apply these techniques to humans which could lead to new cures for a variety of diseases and illnesses. The different methods of animal cloning could also help build the populations of endangered or extinct species. Researchers will be able to help populate different endangered species of animals and remove them from the endangered list. They will also be able to use DNA samples to bring back species of animals that are extinct. Animal cloning will benefit not only the overall health of animals, but it will be able to save endangered species and bring back extinct ones. 

Research on animal cloning should continue because of the potential benefits to both animals and people once it becomes successful with no future health risks to the animals or to people. New discoveries related animal cloning are recurrently being made. Researchers have discovered different methods to clone animals which could be applied to a variety of issues and problems. There are many questions concerning the ethicality of animal cloning due to what the animals have to endure during the cloning process and what health risks they develop. Most animals who receive a cloned embryo eventually abort it at various stages of pregnancy. There are also many health problems the animals acquire after the process which commonly lead to death. But these detriments do not outweigh the benefits of animal cloning. Different cloning techniques are able to be used to create animals with desired traits such as immunity to certain diseases or good genes that allow the animal to produce improved quality milk or have good meat. Cloned animals with specific genes and proteins will be able to be used for medical purposes such as furthering understanding of different diseases and illnesses, producing human proteins used for medicine, and testing new drugs and treatment strategies. The meat and milk from cloned animals also proposes no more risk to humans compared to the meat and milk from naturally born animals. Animal cloning has pet owners interested in having their pets cloned in attempt to replace deceased pets who were part of their lives. Therapeutic cloning could be used to help people who are sick or injured. Animal cloning possesses many possibilities that would not only benefit people, but the overall health of animals and the world. 
