Chinese scientists have cloned a genetically modified macaques. Overall, they were able to generate five copies of the monkeys. The effort required is large and ethically questionable.
Exactly a year ago, neuro-scientists, Qiang Sun, announced by the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the birth of two cloned long-tailed macaques – cynomolgus monkeys. It was scientifically a Sensation, because all the previous Attempts to clone monkeys, had failed.
Now his Institute has brought to Shanghai a further five clone monkeys in the world, and the result in the Chinese magazine “National Science Review” published.
The essential difference is: In the case of the now-born macaques, it is a “Knock-Out”monkeys. You have been removed with the Genschere Crispr/Cas Gene. Without this Gene, “BMAL1” apes are particularly susceptible to a number of diseases. Your internal clock does not work correctly, you can get easier to sleep – and hormone disorders, depression and even schizophrenia.
scientists klonten the monkey to the results of the research better compare.
“Standardized” animals
China is the world’s largest exporter of test monkeys and long-tailed macaques, the most commonly used in animal experiments Monkey species are. You are the people, in many ways, more similar than other mammals, the ethical barriers are lower than in great apes.
the Stated goal of the Chinese researchers is to produce genetically standardized laboratory animals. Genetically modified clone monkeys, as they came now to the world, could be therapies against the diseases referred to test.
hope Stefan treue, Director of the German Primate center in Göttingen. “The greater the Similarity between the disease in experimental animals and humans, the more meaningful the Tests,” he says. If the attempt to genetically animals are also the same, you could end up with less animals to the same results.
the Ethical challenge
From an ethical point of view, however, this also means: The scientists have deliberately created monkeys, who suffer from congenital diseases and the in series. Qiang Sun explains the very open: The researchers had sought out the genetically modified apes, “those with the most severe disease symptoms,” he explains in a press release. This monkey was then cloned.
For Fidelity to this principle is not objectionable – in other experimental animals, the will made in a long time. “It is widely used in experimental animal research in rodents, but in non-human primates not previously have been possible.”
However, it is also from a Faithful point of view, an ethical challenge: what is Decisive is the suffering of the animals.
“that’s Why you have to look at exactly what a disease is. What does this mean for the animals? There must be in each animal weighed between the Suffering of the animals and the scientific validity, the purpose of Suffering in humans to reduce.”
macaques are the most commonly used in animal experiments Monkey species.
300 embryos “consumes”
Yet the yield is small: The researchers had to create, as when trying to a year ago – 300 embryos, and this in dozens of surrogate animals to bring at the end of five living monkeys to the world. A year ago, there were two of them. Technically, therefore, the scientists are a little, but not much more.
Thus, the method is far from to produce animals in large numbers. The hope to reduce eventually the number of test monkeys, the opposite is so in the Moment, a high “consumption” of monkey embryos and surrogate animals. Also, try it currently impossible to clone in this way, people – if only because of the many failed.
Many of the headlines from China
China in recent times have repeatedly hit the headlines. Especially the birth of two genetically modified babies in November, has startled the research community. These Experiments were international and China self-condemned as irresponsible. This is the case of the cloned monkey is different. The researchers emphasize that their research program had been monitored in Accordance with international Standards.
