TEXTO:
For the first time, scientists have created human
embryos that are genetic copies of living people and used
them to make stem cells — a feat that paves the way for
treating a range of diseases with personalized body
5 tissues but also ignites fears of human cloning. If
replicated in other labs, the methods detailed Wednesday
in the journal Cell would allow researchers to fashion
human embryonic stem cells that are custom-made for
patients with Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes and other
10 health problems.
Theoretically capable of reproducing themselves
indefinitely, these stem cells could be used to grow
replacements for a wide variety of diseased cells — those
of the blood, skin, heart, brain, muscles, nerves and
15 more — that would not risk rejection by the patient’s
immune system.
The report also raises the specter that, with a
high-quality donor egg, a bit of skin, some careful tending
in a lab and the womb of a willing surrogate, humans
20 have cracked the biological secret to reproducing
themselves. That is an objective American scientists
have squarely renounced as unethical and scientifically
irresponsible. At the same time, most acknowledge that
such “reproductive cloning” will one day prove too
25 tempting to resist.
In the hope that other researchers will validate and
extend their results, the scientists at Oregon Health &
Science University provided an exceptionally detailed
account of their techniques. For anyone with a
30 well-equipped fertility lab, the comprehensive guide could
also be a useful handbook for cloning a baby. The
success of the experiments rekindled debate among
bioethicists, who have long anticipated that human
cloning would become a reality.
HEALY, Melissa. Disponível em: . Acesso em: 13 maio 2013.
According to the text, bioethicists
