a Chinese biotechnology company Cloned for the first time a specimen of the arctic wolf, an animal listed as a threatened species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)state media reported.
The cloning, the result of two years of research, was announced by the company Sinogene Biotechnology one hundred days after the birth of the animal, which, according to the project coordinators, is a wolf named “Yeast” in a laboratory. Firm located in Jiangsu province (east).
The donor cell was obtained from a skin sample of a Canadian female polar wolf.Zhao Jianping, deputy director of Sinogene, explained that the oocyte came from an unspecified dog and that the pregnancy was developed by another female Beagle.
Saying that scientists placed a total of 85 embryos in the wombs of seven Beagle bitches, Zhao added that the choice of dog to impregnate the clone was due to genetic similarities between the two species.
According to Mi Jidong, the director of the company, quoted by the official Global Times newspaper, this is the first case in the world of cloning a polar wolf.
Over time, “Maya” will be transferred to Harbon Polarland, a theme park in Heilongjiang province (northeast), and will not initially be included due to the possibility that other arctic wolves living there may not adapt to pack cohabitation.
Open the door to the rescue of endangered animals
Experts quoted by the Chinese newspaper, The success of this cloning project opens the door to artificial breeding of other threatened or endangered animals. to ensure the survival of these species by increasing their populations.
Sinogene also announced plans to enter into an agreement with Beijing Wildlife Park to continue researching the applications of cloning technology in the reproduction and conservation of endangered wildlife.
Other scientists, faced with the success of the project, Concerns about cloning and technical and ethical issues This suggests such a procedure.
Despite advances in cloning technology in recent years, Sun Quanhui, a scientist affiliated with the World Animal Protection Organization, told the Global Times. There is still a lot to explore in areas such as the potential health risks associated with cloned animals.
Sun also discussed the conditions under which animals are allowed to be cloned or how cloning affects biodiversity, arguing that this technique should only be applied to species that are on the verge of extinction or are already extinct. Only specimens survive in captivity.
China has previously made announcements about advances in cloning technology. Birth of two genetically identical primates in 2018It was cloned using the same technique used with the famous sheep Dolly.
In 2019, the country was plunged into a vigorous controversy, sparked by Chinese scientist He Jiankui, who claimed he had succeeded in creating the first genetically engineered babies to resist HIV.
Revelation and later The turmoil it caused caused Chinese authorities to launch an investigation for He that led to a three-year prison sentence.He was released from prison last April.
The scandal has prompted Chinese authorities to review their regulations on human genetic modification, which requires nationwide approval for clinical research in this field or other “high-risk biomedical technologies.”
Last March, the Chinese government also Published new guidelines for reforming ethics review processes in fields such as life sciences, medicine or artificial intelligence.
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Source: Informacion
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