| Cloning Clones | |||||||
An international research team in Hawaii has developed a way to clone mice from adult cells using a process called the Honolulu Technique. This process, once thought to be impossible, has allowed researchers to successfully clone five generations of healthy mice. The Honolulu Technique involves removing adult mouse nucleic cells from the donor and micro-injecting them into an egg from which the original nucleus has been removed. The egg is treated with special chemicals and is eventually implanted into a surrogate mouse. The resulting offspring is genetically identical to the donor. This process differs from the technique used to produce Dolly in that there is no fusion of cells involved. With Dolly, adult sheep cells were fused together before being implanted in the sheep which originally donated the egg. The Honolulu Technique has a much higher success rate. Since mice have a short reproductive cycle, scientists stress the importance of this newfound ability to clone them using the Honolulu Technique. Scientists are excited about the possible ways in which this technique can be used in researching, treating, and conquering human diseases such as AIDS, cancer, multiple sclerosis, and diabetes. By applying the Honolulu Technique to other animals, like sheep for example, researchers may gain a better understanding of the cellular and molecular mechanisms behind these and other diseases. The Honolulu Technique could also be used to genetically alter animals for the production of human transplant organs. Researchers stress that this breakthrough is not intended for the cloning of humans, but for the ability to arm ourselves with the tools necessary to fight disease. For additional information see: Mice Join Clone Club News report from Access Excellence. Share Your Opinions What do you think? Can the Honolulu Technique bring us closer to finding cures for diseases like AIDS and diabetes? Come on over to the Biology Forum and share your thoughts, opinions and feelings. Until next time... Previous Features | |||||||
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