Singapore Scientists Create 1st Semi-Cloned Animal

Saturday, Oct. 17, 2009 Posted: 1:18:43AM HKT

A team of Singapore scientists from the National University of Singapore has succeeded in creating the first semi-cloned animal. The breakthrough makes it possible for infertile couples to reproduce.

‘Holly’, the Japanese rice fish, was created by making a haploid cell (with only one set of chromosomes like reproductive sperm and egg cells) out of an embryonic stem cell and introducing its nucleus into the nucleus of an egg using micro-needles.

In the experiment led by associate professor Hong Yunhan, the embryonic stem cell functioned like a sperm.

This means that using the semi-cloning technique, it is now possible to help infertile couples reproduce by using a stem cell from any part of the man’s body and artificially combining its nucleus with that of an egg cell from his wife.

The genius of the breakthrough lay in professor Hong’s ability to make haploid cells by zapping the stem cells with UV rays. That process alone took five years and $1.5 million.

One of the creators of the first cloned sheep, ‘Dolly’, said the isolation of a haploid cell was interesting and valuable to science. It may allow scientists to study and treat genes that cause diseases such as cancer, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, said Dr Alan Colman according to the Straits Times.

With the success with the fish, Hong intends to work with mice, then monkeys, and finally human beings.

The semi-cloning method differs from cloning in that the latter produces genetically identical offspring while with the former there is a natural variety.

Even so, ethics experts and church leaders agreed that there are ethical issues involved.

Semi-cloning is still a form of cloning and the technology would have to come under regulation in Singapore if it is used on humans, said professor Lim Pin, chairman of the Bioethics Advisory Committee.

Concerns raised by church leaders include the effects of using such technology on human beings on the meaning of parenthood, the violating of human dignity, dilution of personhood, blurring of the line of parentage and the potential for abuse, reported Today.

Nathanael Ng
nathanael@christianpost.com