Biotechnology. Perseverance leads to cloned pig in Japan.
Low success rates and unpredictable results have plagued cloning researchers, particularly those trying to clone pigs. Now, on page 1188, Japanese researchers offer the first scientific report of a cloned pig, named Xena, raising hopes that pigs could one day provide an unlimited supply of organs for transplantation thanks to their close physiological relationship to humans. But this week those hopes were dealt a blow by more evidence suggesting that pig retroviruses can infect human cells.
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Normile
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D000818:Animals; D019976:Cloning, Organism / Q000379:methods*; D004624:Embryo Transfer; D005260:Female; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000648:ultrastructure; D007564:Japan; D008845:Microinjections; D053652:Nuclear Transfer Techniques; D011247:Pregnancy; D013552:Swine / Q000196:embryology / Q000235:genetics; D014183:Transplantation, Heterologous