Return of the Clones!!!!

“South Korean Researchers Successfully Clone Human Embryos.” Asia Pacific Biotech News 8.5 (2004): 256. Academic Search Premier. EBSCOhost. Helmke Lib., Ft. Wayne, IN. 24 March. 2008. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=12697315&loginpage=Login.asp&site=ehost-live&scope=site

This article presents the brief research findings of a team of South Korean Scientists. The scientists claim to have managed to successfully retrieve stem cells from a cloned embryo. It talks a little about what stem cells do and how they can possibly be used in the future for therapeutic uses. The article goes a little into detail about the therapeutic cloning treatment that could be used for degenerative diseases and also briefly discusses arguments against human cloning for the stem cells.

Fiester, Autumn. "Creating Fido's Twin." Hastings Center Report 35.4 (2005): 34-39. Academic Search Premier. EBSCOhost. Helmke Lib., Ft. Wayne, IN. 24 Mar. 2008. http://search.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.lib.ipfw.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=18087545&loginpage=Login.asp&site=ehost-live&scope=site.

This article dealt with the issues surrounding companion pet cloning. It discussed the different sides of pet cloning and talked about the ups and downs of it. The article hit on the arguments surrounding the animal suffering, but mentioned that it is progressing so that the animals suffer less than before. It also talked about how the companies that are cloning companion pets for profit are really just exploiting their customer’s feelings and emotions. The clients may not realize that the clone is not a resurrection of the original pet, and that it would basically be like a twin and could have a totally different personality. This article also talks about the good aspects involved with pet cloning and goes into detail about how it is raising the common views of the “moral status” of animals. I found this to be an interesting and worthwhile article since it talks about both sides of cloning companion pets.

Strong, Carson. "The ethics of human reproductive cloning." Reproductive BioMedicine Online 10 (2005): 45-49. Academic Search Premier. EBSCOhost. Helmke Lib., Ft. Wayne, IN. 24 Mar. 2008. http://search.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.lib.ipfw.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=16440113&loginpage=Login.asp&site=ehost-live&scope=site.

This article goes over the question of whether human reproductive cloning could possibly be ethically justifiable in some cases which would involve infertile couples who wanted to use cloning in order to have a genetically related child. The article also points out that the high risk of problems is a forceful argument against reproductive cloning, it also talks about whether cloning would be justifiable in the future if the elevated risk of cloning went down. In this article the argument about the freedom to use cloning is a form of procreative freedom and deserves to be recognized as such. Objections that appeal to the cloned child's interests are also talked about.