would u clone ur dead pet dog?
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S Korea unveils first dog clone
Scientists in South Korea have produced the first dog clones, they report in Nature magazine this week.
One of the puppies died soon after birth but the other, an Afghan hound named Snuppy, is still doing well after 16 weeks, the researchers say.
Snuppy joins a host of other cloned animals including Dolly the sheep, CC the cat and Ralph the rat.
Scientists hope dog clones will help them understand and treat a range of serious human diseases.
"The dog has characteristics similar to human beings," lead researcher Woo Suk Hwang of Seoul National University, South Korea, told the BBC. "Some of their diseases are almost the same as human diseases.
"So [dog clones] could be very valuable in finding technologies useful for curing human diseases. This is our main research call."
Tricky process
Snuppy, whose name stands for Seoul National University puppy, was made from a cell taken from the ear of a three-year-old male Afghan hound.
Scientists took the genetic material from the ear cell and placed it into an empty egg cell. This egg was then stimulated to start dividing and develop into an embryo.
Once growing, it was transferred to Snuppy's surrogate mother, a yellow labrador. The Afghan pup was born by caesarean section after a full 60 days of pregnancy.
Although many other animals have been successfully cloned, dogs are notoriously difficult: the South Korean team only obtained three pregnancies from more than 1,000 embryo transfers into 123 recipients.
Of these, one miscarried and one died soon after birth; only Snuppy remains.
The hairy puppy, like other cloned animals, is generating a flurry of interest around the world.
Some people are concerned about the ethical implications of this research.
"Canine cloning runs contrary to the Kennel Club's objective 'To promote in every way the general improvement of dogs'," Phil Buckley, spokesman for the Kennel Club told the BBC News website. "Cloning cannot be used to make improvements because the technique simply produces genetic replicas of existing dogs.
"Also, will these cloned dogs end up being used in the laboratory? That opens a whole new can of worms."
Moral concerns
Dr Freda Scott-Park, President Elect of the British Veterinary Association, is concerned about the likely reaction of dog lovers.
"This report demonstrates just how fast the world of genetic manipulation is moving and no one should underestimate the far-reaching consequences of this work," she said.
"Sadly however, the media interest is likely to attract pet owners keen to re-create their much loved pets.
"No one can deny that techniques that advance our understanding of diseases and their therapy are to be encouraged. But cloning of animals raises many ethical and moral issues that have still to be properly debated within the profession."
However, another member of the cloning team, Dr Gerald Schatten from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, US, said they are not in the business of cloning pets.
"The overall objective of this programme is to learn about the root causes of diseases," he told the BBC. "We believe it is possible, if you can responsibly develop the ability to derive stem cells from cloned dog embryos, that our very best friends may turn out to be the first beneficiaries of stem cell medicine.
"And as we treat naturally occurring diseases in dogs, we'll learn about whether it is effective in our pets and we'll also learn whether it's safe and effective for our loved ones."
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ONE SPECIAL DOG: Prof Hwang holding Snuppy, the world's first cloned dog. The donor nucleus for Snuppy came from a male Afghan hound. The South Korean team chose to work on a dog as it shares 56 common diseases with human beings, more than any other animal. -- BLOOMBERG -
Cloning woes
CLONED animals are notorious for having short lives or falling sick, and this - along with moral reasons - is why scientists warn against attempts to clone humans.
The suspicion lies with the cloning technique, which may damage the genetic code or fail to hand it over in all its complexity. As a result, things go wrong with the protein-making machinery that creates and sustains tissues.
Dolly was put to sleep in February 2003 at age seven - halfway through a normal lifespan - after it suffered from arthritis and degenerative lung disease. -- AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE -
hmm... dun tink i will wan.. will c it suffer illness n die again...so sad
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if my dog leave me one day.... i'll not clone him.. it's just not right.. beside it's generically "him" but he's not.... no clone can replace the fond memories we shared or the joy he brought....
i'll rather let him go and have him in my heart always.... -
Yea its a different person inside,i really wonder cloning maybe able to make a replica but i'm sure they won't be able to clone the soul thats inside.
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i won't clone anything. i think cloning is against nature.
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yea i agree w all.. only the outllook.. inside is empty..
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x2Originally posted by TehJarVu:i won't clone anything. i think cloning is against nature. -
Cloned animals
Dolly the sheep was born in the UK in 1996 and was the world's first cloned mammal. She lived for six years and gave birth to four lambs. Sheep normally live for 11-12 years. (PA) -
Cloned animals
Five cloned piglets: Millie, Christa, Alexis, Carrel and Dotcom. They were born at a Virginia Tech Research Farm in the USA on March 5, 2000. -
Cloned animals
Researchers used a technique called embryo splitting to produce this rhesus monkey, a female named Tetra, at the Oregon Regional Primate Research Center, USA. -
Cloned animals
In Brazil two calves, named Pora and Potira, were born in healthy condition after being cloned from a 9-year-old cow of the Junqueira breed. There are fewer than 100 animals left of this breed in Brazil, which is known for its prized meat. -
Cloned animals
Pieraz-Cryozootech-Stallion runs in a field near Cremona, Italy. The foal, born in February 2005, is the first horse clone produced from a race-winning champion. -
Originally posted by poon cho tang:
Mutu! its you!
[b]Cloned animals
Researchers used a technique called embryo splitting to produce this rhesus monkey, a female named Tetra, at the Oregon Regional Primate Research Center, USA. [/b]
you're back!
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Cloned animals
Nicky an ordinary male cat, died in 2003. -
Cloned animals
But now his owner has 'Little Nicky" - a successfully cloned cat sold by Genetic Savings and Clone for $50,000 (about £28,159). -
Cloned animals
Then in August 2005 in South Korea it was announced that the first dog had been successfully cloned. Snuppy, the Afghan hound, sits with his genetic father. -
Cloned animals
Scientists hope dog clones will help them understand and treat a range of serious human diseases. -
Originally posted by LeftBallBigger:Mutu! its you!
you're back!