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Shauna Anderson, pictured in the lower right, was born with normal functioning kidneys.
Exposure to hemolytic streptococci several times in her childhood caused her kidneys
to slowly fail. An image of streptococci adorns her wrist. |
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Streptococci adorns her wrist.
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Therapeutic cloning, creating a kidney using stem cells from a cloned embryo,
using Shauna Anderson's DNA has the potential to give her a normal life. In therapeutic
cloning, stem cells are taken from a cloned embryo never intended to be implanted
in a woman's uterus. Therapeutic cloning does NOT include harvesting organs from
a developed human clone, a common horrifying misconception. Electron micrographs
of a developing mouse embryo are shown in the left center. The background is an image
of mouse embryonic stem cells representing the potential of stem cells to develop
into many tissues and organs.
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Electron micrographs of a developing mouse embryo
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At seventeen years old Shauna's kidneys completely failed and her father donated
a kidney for a transplant, but due to an exposure to a Cytomegolovirus (CMV) in a
blood transfusion the kidney transplanted only lasted for five years. A crown of
circles on her head and one to the left are images of CMV. Her mother donated a kidney
for her second transplant. Her mother and father each with a cross-section of a kidney
are pictured in the upper left. |
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CMV
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| Due to taking immunosuppressant drugs, Shauna has endured many side effects including
fragile bones. Two x-rays of a broken arm are pictures in the upper and lower right.
If Shauna had a kidney cloned using her DNA, immunosuppressant drugs would no longer
be needed. |
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X-ray of a broken arm
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At twenty-seven years old Shauna Anderson is in kidney failure for the third time
in her life. She has no prospects for a living related donor. While she is waiting
for a kidney, she undergoes dialysis, a very painful and physically draining ordeal.
The images of kidneys and a kidney transplant surgery are prominent in this artwork
representing the unfortunate daily reality Shauna Anderson must face. A few cloned
stem cells may give her a new life. |
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Kidney transplant surgery
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Cross-section of a kidney
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The image of mouse embryonic stem cells in the background of the digital artwork
was generously provided by Biotechniques: The Journal of Laboratory Technology
for Bioresearch, Eaton Publishing and Corinne R. Greco.
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