2024-01-18 14:33:28
A group of Chinese researchers reached a key advance in the field of cloning announcing the birth of “Retro”, a cloned Rhesus monkey, marking a milestone in biomedical research.
This achievement, published in the journal Nature Communications, is notable since “Retro” survived more than three years, an unusually long lifespan for a cloned primate.
In past experiences, monkey cloning faced numerous challenges. In 1999, a Rhesus primate, called Tetra, was cloned using a technique known as “embryonic division.”
However, further attempts resulted in the clones’ short survival. This changed with “Retro”, whose name refers to the process of “trophoblast replacement“used by Chinese researchers to improve cloning efficiency.
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The process used to clone “Retro” involved replacing the trophoctoderm of the clone embryo with that of a normal embryo at the blastocyst stage, which allowed the development of a healthy placenta and, consequently, a higher survival rate.
Of 113 embryos obtained, only 11 were implanted and resulted in two pregnancies, of which only “Retro” was born alive.
From primates to humans
This discovery is key, since cloned and genetically identical monkeys may be essential in biomedical research, particularly in diseases for which there is currently no treatment.
This advance raises questions and uncertainty regarding the human clonation because it continues to be a topic of intense ethical and legal debate.
The Universal Declaration on the Human Genome and Human Rightsadopted by the United Nations in 1998, expressly prohibits the cloning of human beings.
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The researcher at the National Center for Biotechnology (CNB-CSIC), Lluís Montoliu, explained that: “The cloning of the Rhesus monkey demonstrates two things. Firstly, that it is possible to clone primates. And, secondly, and no less important, that it is extremely difficult to succeed with these experiments, with such low efficiencies, again ruling out cloning of human beings“.
Chinese researchers have reiterated their stance against human reproductive cloning, considering it unacceptable and not part of their future plans.
Despite the challenges and controversies, the “Retro” case opens new doors and possibilities in scientific research, but generates a scenario of many questions.
JCM/fl
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