How could therapeutic cloning reduce immune rejection in cell transplantation?

In the field of regenerative medicine, therapeutic cloning—specifically through a process known as somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT)—offers a potential method to bypass the risk of immune rejection in cell transplantation.12

The process works by transferring the nucleus of a patient's own somatic cell into an enucleated egg cell. This creates a cloned embryo from which stem cells can be derived. Because these stem cells are genetically identical to the patient, they are recognized by the immune system as "self" rather than "nonself". Consequently, when these cells are stimulated to differentiate into specific tissue types and transplanted back into the patient, the body is significantly less likely to initiate the cell-mediated immune responses that typically lead to transplant rejection.213

While this approach is scientifically promising for treating conditions like Parkinson disease or spinal cord injury, it remains a subject of significant ethical controversy due to the destruction of embryos and the technical challenges involved in the procedure.142