Epigenetic Risks of Cloning

By: Akio Inui

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Synopsis: Cloning has the potential to be an extremely valuable tool across many fields. In agriculture, the reproductive cloning of farm animals could prove to be advantageous. In clinical medicine, the employment of therapeutic cloning for cell, tissue, and organ replacement appears to be imminent. In Epigenetic Risks of Cloning, 32 leading researchers detail the cloning methods being employed with various animal models, providing both a review of current findings and a discussion of potential concerns. Less than four percent of reconstructed embryos typically develop to adulthood, the cumulative result of inefficiencies occurring at every stage of development. This book considers the very real consequences of those inefficiencies: high rates of fetal, perinatal, and neonatal loss, as well as the production of abnormal offspring. At present, there is a legitimate concern that the propensity for epigenetic errors could be paralleled in human embryos.