Recent scientific developments have brought the world closer to the possibility that human beings can be cloned. Earlier this week, Shroukhrat Mitalipov of the Oregon National Primate Research Center announced the cloning of a monkey embryo and extracting stem cells from it.

CNN reports that “Mitalipov’s breakthrough was the result of merging skin cells of a 9-year-old rhesus macaque male with unfertilized monkey eggs that had the DNA removed. It is a technique called nuclear transfer - the same used to create Dolly the sheep - and until Mitalipov’s research there had been skepticism over whether a primate could be cloned in the same manner.”

Some scientists are promoting the idea that they should start trying to clone humans because the monkey cloning research was a major breakthrough. Key supporters of this proposal are Dr. Robin Lovell-Badge of the Royal Society in London and Robert Lanza, the chief scientist for Advanced Cell Technology, a U.S.-based company.

Nonetheless, critics of the cloning of humans say that it is unethical and dangerous because of a high failure rate.

To read the entire article from CNN, link here:

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