Chinese first cloned primates

Twenty years after the birth of Dolly the sheep, clones of more highly organized animals appeared in China. It's about macaques. The Chinese, using the same method that was used to clone Dolly, only an improved one, achieved the creation of two clones of the same creature at once. The genetic material was taken from an adult monkey, and implanted in the egg cell, which was then placed in the bosom of a "surrogate mother." In the future, scientists watched the development of embryos, waiting for the birth of healthy macaques.

Clones were born about seven weeks ago in China. Now their development is proceeding at a normal pace, there are no deviations from the norm. The results of their work, the Chinese published in the authoritative publication Cell. It is worth noting that the SCNT method was slightly improved in order that everything worked out with primates.

The study leader is Qiang Sun from the Chinese Academy of Sciences. By the way, initially scientists created 192 embryos. 181 42 surrogate macaques were implanted. Embryos survived in 22 monkeys. Unfortunately, only two clones were born that died within an hour. Then the scientists, without lowering their hands, tried again to carry out their plans. Embryos were obtained by transplanting the nucleus of somatic cells. The egg nucleus is replaced by fetal donor tissue, and then special chemical compounds are used that "include" the genes that are necessary for the development of the embryo.

This time they already received 109 embryos, implanting 79 of them 21 surrogate mothers. Only six macaques became pregnant. And this time it was possible to achieve that two completely healthy female monkeys were born. The first clone named Zhong Zhong was born on November 27, 2017, and the second clone of Hua Hua - on December 5. The names are identical clones received from the word "zhonghua" - China, Chinese.



According to experts, it was possible to achieve success thanks to new technologies of working with cells. We also had to train for a long time to work with DNA samples, ova, implantation of ova and many others. By the way, there are doubts that these are the first cloned primates. Back in 1999, a rhesus macaque clone was born, which was obtained thanks to a different cloning technique called the “embryo separation”.

Nevertheless, scientists believe that their achievement is a real breakthrough. New methods and techniques of cloning allow scientists to begin an active study of the possibilities of cloning. Perhaps one day this will allow humanity to get rid of a number of hereditary diseases.

“It is possible that scientists, using the achievements of Chinese specialists, will succeed in creating genetically modified primates for drug testing, genome editing and brain research,” said Robert Lee Hots, a journalist for The Wall Street Journal .

“The technical barrier that has long been a barrier to the cloning of various primates, including humans, has been overcome. In principle, our technology can also be used for human cloning, but we are not going to do this, ”said research director Qiang Sun, director of the Center for Inhuman Primate Research (Neurological Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai).

Interestingly, the representatives of the Vatican have already managed to leave their comments. In particular, one of the high-ranking clergymen said that for the time being the church could not give a clear and official judgment about animal cloning. But regarding the possibility of human cloning, the Vatican expresses a firm and resolute condemnation. True, the final conclusions must be made by scientists. But the church considers it a great risk that the cloning of monkeys could be the last step before human cloning.

“Without any doubt, the transition from Dolly's cloned sheep to other animals and even monkeys, that is, primates closest to humans, represents a threat to the future of all humanity,” said Cardinal Elio Sgretscha, a theologian and expert of bioethics on bioethics. As far as one can understand, China will not pay special attention to the opinion of the Catholic Church. Although, how to know.

Cell , 2017. DOI: 10.1016 / j.cell.2018.01.020