Cloning - Enabling Mankind To Reach Eternal Life

Cloning is defined as a multiple-step process from a mitotic division to generate a group of genetically identical copies of a biological unit. Whereas, a clone is referred to as the copied material, which has an exact genetic makeup of the original produced asexually. They are three different types of cloning i.e., Gene Cloning, Reproductive Cloning, and Therapeutic Cloning.

Gene Cloning

Gene cloning is also known as DNA cloning, in which multiple DNA copies or segments are produced of the desired one. It is defined as the fragment of DNA to be cloned, and inserted into a DNA molecule called a vector to produce a recombinant DNA molecule. Examples of vectors are bacteria, yeast cells, viruses or plasmids, a small DNA molecule carried by bacteria, and some other organisms. Plasmids can replicate independently.

Benefits

??They are helpful in the production of eukaryotic proteins in bacterial cells. ? Used in synthesizing vitamins, antibiotics, and hormones. ? Helpful to boost food production without using fertilizers, despite of few limitations like drought tolerance in crops. ? Production of recombinant proteins by the cell-based or cell-free system. And also, in the production of insulin and other growth factors. ??Alterations of the genome in the organism are known as transgenic and are the primary source of genetically modified crops. ??We can determine the gene function in the recombinant plasmid and some others are gene knockout and knockdown. ??Mutated genes or DNA sequences can be repaired by gene therapy. ? Gene probes sourced by gene cloning have multiple functions in the early diagnosis of hereditary diseases, in forensic investigations. ???Recombinant antigens produced by cloning are now in the screening stage and recombinant vaccines play a major role to replace the use of live vaccines which has plenty of effects ???Some other applications are recombinant cytokinin and antimicrobial peptides.?

Benefits

? With gene farming, it’s beneficial in the production of drugs.? The major application is testing of drugs in cloned animals as they are genetically identical, therefore, the response should be uniform in all of them, unlike animals with a different genetic makeup ? Transgenic sheep have the capability in producing human factor IX.? In January 2008, the US- FDA has decided the milk and meat produced from cloned animals are safe, however, as the process is extremely expensive it takes quietly a long time to appear in markets.? It’s also helpful in the cloning of endangered animals like Guar, and Banteg.

Therapeutic Cloning

It refers to the use of Somatic cell Nuclear Transfer to reprogram the somatic cells (skin cells, nerve cells, muscle cells, etc.) into embryonic stem cells. The first five days after the egg started to divide is known to be considered the richest source of ESCs.

Benefits

? Tissues derived from ESCs have excellent potential in testing new therapeutic drugs. ? Helpful in the study of the molecular causes of diseases from animals with different diseases. ? To grow tissues in the laboratories to replace the injuries. ? Nanotechnology combined with biomedical treatments in stem cells can overcome a few issues in the utility of delivery, tracking, or labeling and scaffolds.

Author: Anumulapelli Ravali - Scientific content writer at Bioclinica Biosciences.