Cloned cows seem healthy

2001/11/23 Elhuyar Zientzia

• Genetika
• Zoologia

Researcher Robert Lanza of Advanced Cell Technology, Massachusetts, has studied in depth 24 cows born in Massachusetts and concluded that they are as healthy as normal cows. Animals created by cloning often have big problems. They become easily ill, many die newborns and have genetic and physical defects, such as greater than conventional ones and with a defective immune system. However, Massachusetts cows have not presented any of these problems.

Experts in the field point out that the result of the research is hopeful, but not extensible to the four winds. On the one hand, because the researchers started from 110 embryos, because only 30 were born and 6 newborns died. That is, after birth most cows have developed normally, similar to the survival rate of normal cows, but the rate of abortions is very high, too high to start cloning animals massively.

They warn that before you start you have to learn more about the biology of cloned animals, and that the good results of Massachusetts contextualize in many negative results. Robert Lanza has also shown his conformity. They also wanted to make it clear that this research gives no basis for cloning human beings.