Shanghai researchers have produced the world's first
gene-modified cloned rabbit.
The rabbit is to be used in research to find out causes of human
diseases, Jiao Tong University officials said yesterday.
The rabbit was born on September 14 in the city's Xinhua
Hospital affiliated to Jiao Tong's medical school and weighs 1,400
grams.
Although it appears to be an ordinary rabbit, the gene-modified
clone creature is different from its peers as it exudes green
lights when it is put under the examination of a fluoroscope.
"That's because we have injected special genes into the rabbit,"
said Chen Xuejin, vice professor with Jiao Tong's medical school
and the research team leader.
"That is the other cutting-edge technology that is used in this
experiment aside from the clone methodology."
Chen and his colleagues started the test by extracting glowing
protein genes from a jellyfish. With physical and chemical
treatment, the gene was transplanted into the rabbit's fiber cells
before the gene-modified cell was injected into a rabbit
embryo.
The next step was to place the reconstructed embryo into the
body of a female rabbit. It was born by caesarean section after a
pregnancy period of 30 days.
The team produced other rabbits using the same cloning
technology with gene modification but most of them died soon after
birth.
To avoid premature death, researchers found a nanny rabbit which
had just given birth and put it with newborn peers.
As rabbits share similar genes with human beings, the
gene-modified clone rabbit is expected to be used in disease
research.
It would be of special help in the study of eye diseases and
cardiovascular conditions, said Li Shangang, a researcher with the
Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences.
(Shanghai Daily December 15, 2007)
