Somatic cell nuclear transfer, also know as therapeutic cloning is a more advanced method of cloning. The process is similar to natural meiosis, but only one nucleus is involved in the process. An egg cell is taken and the nucleus and all genetic data is removed by a micropipette,leaving behind an enucleated egg cell. A somatic cell, a cell other than the sperm or egg cells, is taken from the donor. The nucleus is then separated from the somatic cell by a mild electric shock. The donor’s nucleus is then injected into the enucleated cell, causing the cell to grow as normal. The cells would begin to divide and form into an embryo, but to stop a clone from growing stem cells are harvested, killing the embryo. Once these stem cells have been collected they can be formed into necessary organs and tissues for the donor. There would be no immune rejection of the organs or tissues as it has been formed by the donor’s own DNA. There are very strict views and laws related to nuclear transfer as a clone cannot be legally produced.
Dolly the Sheep
The very famous example of therapeutic cloning is the case of Dolly the sheep. She was the very first mammal to be successfully cloned. They took the udder cell from an Finn Dorset white sheep and injected it into an enucleated egg cell. The egg and nucleus were fused together with electrical pulses. The cell was cultured for several days before it was placed into the surrogate mother, a Scottish Black ewe. Dolly was genetically identical to her genetic mother but was technically her twin sister.
The very famous example of therapeutic cloning is the case of Dolly the sheep. She was the very first mammal to be successfully cloned. They took the udder cell from an Finn Dorset white sheep and injected it into an enucleated egg cell. The egg and nucleus were fused together with electrical pulses. The cell was cultured for several days before it was placed into the surrogate mother, a Scottish Black ewe. Dolly was genetically identical to her genetic mother but was technically her twin sister.