What Is Clone Drug: 5 Things You Must Know

Cloning is a unique technique; with the help of therapeutic cloning¹, we can clone every drug of our interest according to our needs and demands. So, are you wondering what is clone drug? Well, you are at the right place!

In this article, we will cover all the possible aspects of clone drugs,  including an overview of cloning, the advantages and disadvantages of cloning, and the different techniques of cloning.

We will also discuss synthetic marijuana plant products,² a synthetic drug, the Pittsburgh poison center, murky legal territory, chemical manufacturers, and the chemical composition of some medicines, along with gene cloning, active ingredients, genetic makeup, potent substances, and synthetic cannabinoids sprayed.

1. History

Cloning is a technique to make identical genetic copies of the same species. Cells, tissues, and genes can all be cloned by this specific technique.

There are certain clones which are naturally existing in this nature. Some species, including single-cell microorganisms, bacteria, and certain microbes, make exact copies of themselves every time they reproduce through the sexual and asexual means of reproduction.

In Homo sapiens, identical twins to monozygotic twins³ are proof of cloning. Monozygotic twins are produced from the same zygote; they have the same genetic material. They share similar types of genes.

The development of monozygotic twins⁴ is formed when the fertilized egg is split into two halves, and each half of the fetus starts.

Besides this natural method, scientists have developed various ways to build the clone in the laboratory. Researchers hope that this technology is a boon to humankind.

The entire process of cloning is very tough and time-consuming; researchers generally clone the substance to study more about it.

For cloning, they typically take the genetic material that is DNA from the organism and insert it into a carrier, including bacteria and yeast.

There are certain species of plants and animals whose complete researchers clone DNA or the whole genome. Under this category, there are plants, including k2 or spice, cocaine, and heroin which the researchers successfully clone.

Along with whole animals and plants, the entire day’s structure of the original drug is cloned by scientists in the laboratory. Different chemicals are used in this process.

At first, the plant extract is used to make the drugs. Leaf material, traditional marijuana, marshmallow leaf, Michael lynch, damiana leaf, and roach spray extract the original and natural compounds.

Corrections officials, along with special agent Patrick Trainor are hired by the American Association to collect every variety of plants that are used for medicines. Then after collection, the researchers identify the compound present in that particular leaf.

Nowadays, combinations are made artificially in that laboratory without destroying the plant.

Two types of cloning ⁵are beneficial for humankind. These cloning techniques include Naturing cloning and Molecular cloning. There are other clones which include callus cloning and cell cloning. 

1.1. Natural Cloning

Cloning is the natural form of reproduction for many species. It is generally the reproduction method used by plants, animals, bacteria, fungi, and many microbes.

Some biological species that use this process for reproducing naturally include blueberry, Myrica, and American Sweetgum.

1.2. Molecular Cloning

This is the method we will discuss in detail in this article; molecular cloning is commonly used to amplify the genetic material DNA or RNA fragments that contain the genes and whole genome of the species.

Molecular Cloning is a very difficult technique or process that experts in the laboratory carry out. However, some species of microorganisms perform this phenomenon of molecular cloning independently, and that too in the natural environment.

Cloning copies are created by following the four basic steps.

1. Fragmentation– Fragmentation is to divide or cut the genetic material RNA or DNA into small parts or pieces with the help of enzymes. 
2. Ligation– Ligating or joining the DNA sequence in order of our choice or our sequence.
3. Transfection– Integration of the newly formed DNA sequence in the cell for replication, transformation, and translation.
4. Selection– The final and end step is the selection of our cloned cell or the selection of our desired cell. This can be performed by various processes, including blue-white screening, with the help of markers and enzymes.

2. What is Clone Drug?

Clone drugs are synthetic marijuana plant products and synthetic cannabinoids with the same genetic makeup as the original drug. Here, the original drug is referred to as the drug, which is prepared by the plant extract.

In simple words- Clone drugs are a type of synthetic drug with the same genetic makeup as the original drug and whose work of action is also similar to the original drug.

Synthetic drugs are non-plant originated because they are prepared in the laboratory artificially and hence are not separated or extracted from any plant or animal.

The synthetic drug has to pass many tests before it comes into use by a human being; the drug enforcement agency supervises all these tests.

Synthetic nature means the nature of the chemical formula of the synthetic drug is made artificially, the same as the original drug.

Both natural and synthetic drugs are the same drug with the same receptors and active ingredients. They also work on the same target site as the original drug.

The synthetic drug works on the same injured or diseased tissues as the original drug or other drugs.

Three different techniques are there to test the different types of drugs. At first, the drugs are tested with traditional drug tests.

These traditional drug tests test other drugs, including synthetic marijuana, synthetic cannabinoids, and many other substances.

Now let’s talk about the overview of therapeutic cloning; this technique is used for making or manufacturing synthetic drugs, including synthetic cannabinoids. 

Several synthetic drugs are available on the market, including roach spray, smoking clone, rat poison, bug spray, e-cigarettes, K2 or spice, and heroin.

3. Advantages Of Clone Drug

Clone drugs have many advantages; these drugs are used in treatment, replacing injured, and in longer pass original copies. Let’s discuss the different advantages of cloning drugs in detail. 

3.1. Treatment

Several clone drugs nowadays are used by doctors in treatment. These drugs have the same genetic makeup as the original; they have the same target sites and receptors; therefore, their action work is similar to the original drug.

Hence, clone drugs are safer to use; some medicines used in the treatment are meth and insulin derivatives.

3.2. Eco Friendly

Clone drugs are eco-friendly. Clone drugs do not require any plant part for extraction, nor do they need any animal organ to manufacture the medicines.

In olden times the whole plant was sacrificed to extract a single compound for medicinal use, but nowadays, the drugs are prepared in the wet lab by just knowing the structure of the original mix.

These drugs have the same therapeutic benefit.

3.3. Research

Cloning any cell or cloning any drug is also preferred by the researcher to study the action of that particular drug in the specific cell line.

Researchers clone the drug to check its properties, activity, structure, and composition more advanced.

3.4. Choice

As we know, cloning is a process used to clone an organism to make the organism have the same genetic makeup; apart from this, it also provides the opportunity to choose the other qualities and traits for the cloning organism or drug.

The researchers or the expert can put or incorporate the genes of their interest according to the cloned organism.

3.5. Disease

The cloning technique or process also helps in studying the various genetic disorders better and gives a better understanding of the cause of that particular disorder. The clone drugs are more specific to the disease.

By in-vitro interaction, researchers can identify and observe the action of the clone drug on a particular condition in more detail.

4. Disadvantage Of Clone Drug

As we discussed various advantages of the clone drug, it also has several disadvantages. These disadvantages include the illegal use of the clone drug, the misuse of the clone drug, and the overuse of the clone drug.

4.1. Misuse Of The Clone Drug

Clone drugs are misused in many ways; people use the derivative of the clone drug, which is banned, to complete their addiction.

3.2. Overuse Of Clone Drug

Another significant disadvantage of the clone drug is its overuse. Overuse of anything is harmful to the individual, by overuse of the drugs whether it is normal drugs or clone drugs, nowadays individual bodies are becoming resistant, and due to that, not many medications are working on their immune system. They are becoming more susceptible to diseases.

5. Complications with Clone Drug

K2 or spice is a Synthetic cannabinoid, a potent clone drug to make people sick. The Statewide prison system in Pennsylvania remains closed after dozens of its employees at different locations fell ill over the past few months.

This case is reported due to the use of synthetic cannabinoids, according to the corrections officials. It was reported that marijuana was sprayed on the paper and bought inside the jail, possibly through the mail.

Possibly in this way, the prison or inmates were taking or consuming the Synthetic cannabinoid.

K2, or species which is synthetic cannabinoids, are manufactured in the lab. This is the mimic of the active ingredients in marijuana, and its interaction is the same as that of marijuana, which is the brain’s receptors.

The researchers invented the cloning technique for study, research, and noble work. Still, many countries and companies use this technology for illegal employment.

Drugs, including cocaine, smoke, alcohol, and other substances, are banned in many countries due to their higher rate of addiction.

To overcome this problem, many companies have started manufacturing the derivatives of these substances, which have the same obsession and are as harmful as the original ones.

These substances or chemical compounds are created in the lab under controlled conditions and then transferred to industries for manufacturing in large quantities.

 For this, if any company is involved in these types of activities they must be put in county jail. Inmate smoking, marijuana, alcohol, and smoking are also banned in India, and any person found guilty must be kept behind jail bars.

6. How To Differentiate Between Natural And Synthetic Cannabinoids

The only way to differentiate between the original and synthetic copied material is the detectable odour in the new drugs on the market. Natural marijuana has a lovely smell apart in case of synthetic marijuana derivates which have very different scents.

Many drugs are illegal, including alcohol and New Haven; their synthetic clone drug form is also unlawful. So if anyone is involved in this activity, kindly complain and help the government reduce this illegal use of the cloning technique.

7. Final Note

This article briefly discussed the clone drug, the different techniques of cloning⁶ a cure, and its advantages and disadvantages.

In simple words, cloning is a technique used for making the exact copy with the same genetic make, and the researchers can also incorporate the gene of their interest in the cloned drug.

This article discusses the clone drug’s different aspects and history in detail. Cloning is further divided into two types natural cloning and molecular cloning.

There are certain species of flora and fauna whose complete genome is cloned by this cloning technique by the researchers in the laboratory under specific conditions. 

To know about this technique and how researchers can clone the chemical compounds in the laboratory, one must first know What is clone drug is. It is also compulsory to have a piece of knowledge about which species can be cloned under controlled conditions and which is not. 

Cloning is not a new technique; it’s a technique that already exists in nature. We must identify the process with the help of natural organisms, and now we are applying it to humankind.

 

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3. Fraga, Mario F., et al. “Epigenetic differences arise during the lifetime of monozygotic twins.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 102.30 (2005): 10604-10609. ↩︎
4. Davis, James O., Jeanne A. Phelps, and H. Stefan Bracha. “Prenatal development of monozygotic twins and concordance for schizophrenia.” Schizophrenia bulletin 21.3 (1995): 357-366. ↩︎
5. Westhusin, M. E., et al. “Cloning to reproduce desired genotypes.” Theriogenology 55.1 (2001): 35-49. ↩︎
6. Muyrers, Joep PP, Youming Zhang, and A. Francis Stewart. “Techniques: recombinogenic engineering–new options for cloning and manipulating DNA.” Trends in biochemical sciences 26.5 (2001): 325-331. ↩︎

Last Updated on July 24, 2024 by Sathi Chakraborty, MSc Biology