Ethical problems of cloning humans (SCNT)

Abstract

The article analyses ethical problems of cloning of human beings. Today scientists have opportunity to clone animals and human embryos by somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT), and the author considers this technology and ethical problems generated by it. The author maintains that we must divide two types of cloning of human beings: therapeutic and reproductive. The therapeutic cloning does not generate any new ethical problems or dilemmas, but it exacerbates the problems which have already existed (moral status of human embryos, health care recourses distribution, etc.). Reproductive cloning of human beings will generate as absolutely new ethical problems so new scientific solutions.

Keywords

• перенос ядер соматических клеток
• репродуктивное клонирование
• терапевтическое клонирование
• моральный статус эмбрионов
• клонированных животных
• биоэтика