Using DNA to Clone Man's Best Friend.

 Canine cloning has advanced significantly over the past decade, with refined techniques leading to improved success rates and fewer phenotypic variations. Approximately 22 animal species have been cloned through Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer (SCNT), with dogs representing a significant portion of those cloned. Despite the challenges posed by the complexity of canine reproductive physiology and breed diversity, cloning efficiency has improved, surpassing that of other commonly cloned species. Around 20% of recognized dog breeds have been successfully cloned, and the process has been optimized through better selection of donors and surrogates, refined hormonal assays, and streamlined procedures.

While the overall interest in cloning has declined since the early 2000s, largely due to the normalization of the process and a lack of new species being cloned, the increasing number of cloned dogs has led to greater public acceptance of the technology. Canine cloning not only holds potential for animal reproduction, such as rescuing endangered or extinct species but also offers valuable insights for human medicine. Cloned dogs are being used in medical research to study diseases shared by humans and dogs, including genetic disorders, diabetes, and Alzheimer’s disease.

Despite these advancements, ethical and practical concerns about the use of cloning in animals remain, and these issues must be carefully considered. Cloning, however, is expected to continue to play a crucial role in the conservation of species, the advancement of biomedical research, and the potential for reproductive rescue, suggesting a lasting impact on both animal and human health.

Links:

https://www.viagenpets.com/dog-cloning/

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-022-15097-7 

Pet Cloning Is Getting More Popular Despite the Cost

 

Texas-based company called Viagen Pets and Equine, which is the first and only US firm to offer commercial cloning of dogs and cats, is seeing a rapid increase in its practice since it first opened back in 2015. The cloning of pets is controversial, but it is growing in popularity despite its continuing high cost which averages around $50,000 to clone a dog, $30,000 for a cat, and $85,000 for a horse. While out of budget for most Americans, a select few among the wealthy have used genetic cloning to bring back some of their most beloved pets. “Back in 2018, Barbra Streisand disclosed that she had used Viagen to clone two puppies from her former pet Samantha. That same year, The Sun newspaper reported that music mogul and talent show judge Simon Cowell was "100 per cent cloning" his three Yorkshire terriers” (Dimitropoulos, 2022).

There are several specific cloning techniques, but the most common method involves transferring a cell nucleus from the animal you wish to clone which is then injected into a donor egg that has had its genetic material removed. The egg is then grown in lab into an embryo and then is implanted in the womb of a surrogate mother who goes on to give birth to the new animal. This process does not have to occur immediately after the death of a pet and can be conducted many years later.

Cloning brings with it many challenges. Health complications of both the surrogate and the cloned animal arise frequently and many see this as reason to ban the continuation of cloning as a whole. The issue of development and personality arise as well. Yes, your favorite pet may come back to you, but its memories and personality will not. As of right now cloning is limited to the DNA code of an animal and cannot replicate anything beyond that. Time will only tell how far and complex genetic coding will come to be.

A related article discussing this topic is attached here. 

China's First Cloned Police Dog

The chinese military have successfully cloned a police dog from a retiring dog already in the force. Huahuangma a 7 year old German Shepherd wolf hybrid was known to many in the force as the "Sherlock Holmes of police dogs". Throughout her career she has xent many bad guys behind bars and served them justice. Genetic researchers in Beijing were tasked with making a replica of Huahuangma and her legendary nose and capabilities. They successfully cloned a dog named 3-month-old Kunxun. He has begun training after arriving at a police base in Kunming, Southwest China’s Yunnan Province earlier this month. Dna tests show both of the dos share 99.9% of the same DNA so the chinese government can only hope Kunxun will fill those big shoes Huahuangma has left behind.
 

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cloning long-dead species

An article published in NewScientist magazine in 2008 illustrates the findings of a study that successfully cloned dead mice. The research team utilized the nucleus from cells and were injected into eggs that'd had the nucleus removed. The fact that the cells utilized were from tissue that had been frozen for over 15 years, woke up the idea that extinct species frozen in permafrost can be "resurrected".

In 2009 a publication in the NatGeo site, pointed the findings of a process where the pyrenean ibex was the first extincted animal to be brought back from extinction, though it died two days after being born, (dead of organisms is common in cloning experiments). This news produced mixed feelings, since it was the first animal to survive de-extinction passed birth but also the first one to be extincted two times.
Like most genetic topics, there is controversy surrounding this one. Opposers say that people should try to find ways of preserving existing species, instead of trying to bring back extincted ones. The truth is, that up to 0.1% of the total species go extinct each year, mostly due to humans. Every species an important part of the ecosystem, and bringing them back will cause mostly a positive impact in the ecosystem they left behind; but it is also true that we have try harder at protecting the species that remain alive.

Harvesting Wild Genes Gives Crops Renewed Resistance To Disease

In a recent article on "ScienceDaily," a new technique was discussed that has the potential to change disease-resistant genes in our crops. This new method, named "AgRenSeq",  involves the extraction of the disease-resistant genes from wild plants and transfers them over into our domesticated crops. Scientists at the John Innes Centre in Britain, developed this gene technology when working together with other scientists from Australia and the United States. Their collaborative research has allowed the creation of a search library for resistant genes in wild plants. Scientists can quickly scan through the library and identify the disease fighting sequences. They can also clone these genes and use them to protect crops against pathogens and pests. This research is so advanced and detailed that the disease-resistant genes can be cloned in just a few months for a couple thousand dollars. This new method can drastically benefit our environment as it speeds up the fight against pathogens in crops such as wheat, soybean, maize, rice, and potato. The breeding of more resilient crops is a very time consuming process however, it will in the long run create crops of higher yield that have more desirable agronomic traits.

 

I found this article very interesting because this research has the potential to really change our agricultural economy for the better. This new method can increase the crop yield and make them disease resistant at the same time. With the population size of humans increasing so much every year, the increased amount of crop yield will be very beneficial.

Gene-edited Monkeys from China

An interesting article from Nature discusses how scientists from the Institute of Neuroscience in Shanghai genetically modified and cloned monkeys. The scientists disabled a specific gene of a macaque monkey that was responsible in regulate their sleep-wake cycle. After they did the genetic-editing they then cloned the edited monkey and created five other monkeys with nearly identical genes. The ability to create animal specimens with specific genetic disorders give scientists the opportunity to work on large groups of animals suffering from the same genetic disorder. It was said in the article that using monkeys is quite inefficient and expensive. It took 325 embryos, 65 surrogate mothers, and around $500,000 to create these five genetically cloned monkeys.

While, I believe the genetic research that could be done on these animals would be insanely beneficial to modern science and medicine, I don't know if I agree with it ethically. Primates especially are very intelligent and social animals and it has been shown that they suffer greatly not only physically but also emotionally and psychologically when used for medical experimentation.

Bones Show Dolly's Arthritis Was Normal For a Sheep Her Age

It was reported that Dolly the Sheep suffered from severe arthritis in her knees. New x-ray evidence shows that cloning was unlikely the reason for this arthritis. Other cloned sheep along with Dolly's naturally conceived daughter, Bonnie, were also x-rayed. Results revealed that Dolly had the joints of any normal sheep her age, cloned or not. Dolly had arthritis in her hips, knees, and elbows, which is common in sheep. Dolly, Bonnie, and two other cloned sheep, Megan and Morag, had their bones examined. After examination, it is suggested that Megan and Bonnie, who were older than Dolly at their time of death, had more damaged bones whereas Morag who was younger at death had less bone damage. Overall, Dolly's arthritis levels were equal to those of any normal sheep at her age, suggesting that cloning wasn't to blame. It is thought that her "creaky" joints are a result from giving birth to six lambs.

It is interesting to learn more about Dolly considering every biology student has heard about this famous sheep. I did not know the details of her health such as the arthritis but it is good to know that there is evidence supporting the cloning did not affect that aspect of her health and that it was just due to pregnancy which is common for sheep after giving birth. 

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