There was a movie called “The Island” which forced us to think about frightening possibility of human clones. Although it was a fantasy movie but it also posed a lot of questions on the times ahead in the future. The movie showed that humans will one day be able to duplicate themselves. The very idea that someone will be able to clone themselves for the purpose of organ harvesting is simply terrifying. The first mammal which was cloned in 1996 was known to the world with the name – Dolly the Sheep.
Image Source: www.youtube.com
Now, the scientists in China have successfully cloned a monkey and given birth to two monkeys - Zhong Zhong and Hua Hua. They were cloned in a laboratory in China. As per the scientists, they are cloned to study the diseases with genetic basis such as some forms of cancers and immune disorders.
Image Source: www.livemint.com
“There are a lot of questions about primate biology that can be studied by having this additional model,” Qiang Sun of the Chinese Academy of Sciences Institute of Neuroscience said of the successful experiment.
Image Source: www.viralthread.com
As per the reports, the two cloned long-tailed macaques are developing normally. The two monkeys were born within two week’s times. The scientists took 79 attempt before Zhong Zhong and Hua Hua took birth. They were cloned from a very different kind of cell which failed to survive.
Image Source: www.theguardian.com
“We tried several different methods, but only one worked. There was much failure before we found a way to successfully clone a monkey,” said Dr. Sun. As per the scientists, they are now planning to use the tested formula to clone more.
Image Source: www.newscientist.com
Cloning of animals is not new. There are many instances when animals were cloned. Just after the successful cloning of Dolly in an Edinburgh lab in 1996, many horses, dogs, cats, mice and rats were also cloned. However, Zhong Zhong and Hua Hua are the first non-human primates which were cloned.
Image Source: www.iflscience.com
As they are first non-human primate who were cloned, it raised many eyebrows and there is much of a controversy attached to it. “We are very aware that future research using non-human primates anywhere in the world depends on scientists following very strict ethical standards,” said co-researcher Dr. Muming Poo.
Image Source: www.newscientist.com
However, as the curiosity grew around the cloning of non-human primates, Professor Robin Lovell-Badge of the Francis Crick Institute in London deemed the cloning as very inefficient and hazardous. He assured people by saying, “"the procedure is not a stepping-stone to establishing methods for obtaining live-born human clones.”
Image Source: www.viralthread.com
There was another people who had apprehensions about the ethical concerns. Professor Darren Griffin of the University of Kent said that the cloning of monkeys may come across as useful when it is intended to understand the human diseases. “Careful consideration now needs to be given to the ethical framework under which such experiments can, and should, operate,” he said.
Image Source: www.reuters.com
With the cloning of Zhong Zhong and Hua Hua, there is a lot of worry among the people around the globe. People are having anxiety about the worst form of repercussions of cloning. The leading experts in the area of cloning has also been alarmed by the arrival of Zhong Zhong and Hua Hua.
Image Source: bgr.com
People are worried about the fact that we are actually tinkering with the natural world. It is advisable that let the world be the way it is today. The moral and ethical standpoint is in the question at the moment. There is also a common belief that we should stay clear of this area in science called cloning.
Image Source: www.reuters.com
Although some people may feel enthusiasm about the cloning of Zhong Zhong and Hua Hua, but in reality it is something which should not be touched upon. This is an area where there should not be much work. People should understand that tinkering with the natural world may have some serious repercussions.
Image Source: www.hindustantimes.com
One should channelize their energies towards transforming what we have today. This world has been beautiful and one can invest all the time and energy in making it better. And, certainly not by investing energy towards cloning. There are many ways which can be found to better this world. There are also many challenges that lies in this world and those things can be addressed.
Image Source: www.telemundo.com