Italian researchers who created the first cloned horse announced yesterday that they have successfully cloned 14 new pigs. These animals were born a few weeks ago at the Reproductive Technology Laboratory in Cremona.
Lead researcher Cesare Galli stated that these pigs will aid in a deeper understanding of the transplantation of animal cells into humans. Scientists have successfully cloned sheep, mice, goats, rabbits, cats, pigs, donkeys, and dogs.
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Prometea |
The first cloned horse, named Prometea, was born in the laboratory in the summer of 2003. Cloned cattle have also been born here.
The latest experiment is part of a European Union project aimed at researching stem cells in cloned animals. Stem cells are remarkable cells in the body, capable of becoming many different types of mature tissues.
Researchers prefer using pigs as a model for studying transplantation because they share similarities with humans in skeletal structure and physiological functions.
M.T
