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Gene-Edited Monkey Clones Stir Excitement and Debate
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Gene-Edited Monkey Clones Stir Excitement and Debate

Genetically identical primates offer the best models of human disease, but raise ethical issues.

David Cyranoski
Nature, 2019
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Editorial Rating

9

Qualities

  • Controversial
  • Scientific
  • Eye Opening

Recommendation

Animal models have been indispensable in medical research in enhancing an understanding of how diseases develop and progress, and in formulating and testing drugs. But their utility may be coming to an end. Mice are not men and cannot serve as accurate models of complex human conditions like mental illnesses. China has used gene-edited monkeys to serve as disease models and has gone on to clone the mutant monkeys so researchers can work with genetically identical populations. They intend to create more to simulate a variety of different conditions. The article will engage and inform anyone concerned with the ethics of cutting-edge science and medicine.

Take-Aways

  • China is developing colonies of gene-edited monkey clones to serve as animal models of disease.
  • This marks the first time primates have been cloned from adult cells.
  • Scientists in the United States and Europe have ethical concerns.

About the Author

David Cyranoski is the Asia-Pacific correspondent for Nature magazine.

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