Clonés

Clonés is the masculine plural form of cloné in French, meaning “cloned” or “the cloned ones.” In biology and philosophy, the term is used to describe organisms, cells, or tissues that have been produced as genetically identical copies of a single ancestor.

A clone is produced through replication of genetic material. The most widely used laboratory technique is somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT), in which the nucleus from a donor somatic cell is inserted into an enucleated egg cell and stimulated to develop into an embryo that can be implanted into a surrogate mother. Another approach involves embryo splitting, which yields monozygotic twins that are genetically identical to each other and to the original embryo; these are sometimes described as clones.

Applications of cloning include research, agriculture, and potential medical therapies. Cloned animals have been created for decades, with Dolly the sheep (1996) serving as a well-known milestone. Cloned cells and tissues are used in biomedical research and drug testing, and discussions continue about the prospects and limits of therapeutic cloning and regenerative medicine.

Ethical and legal considerations are central to the topic. Reproductive cloning of humans is prohibited or tightly regulated in many countries, while therapeutic cloning raises questions about embryo status, consent, and welfare. International guidelines emphasize oversight, risk assessment, and transparency in reporting and experimentation.

See also: cloning, stem cells, regenerative medicine.