An additional 14 cloned pigs

Italian researchers who created the first cloned horse yesterday announced that they have created 14 new cloned pigs. Animals were born a few weeks ago at the Reproductive Technology Laboratory in Cremona.

Lead researcher Cesare Galli said pigs will help to further understand animal cell transplantation into humans. Scientists cloned sheep, mice, goats, rabbits, cats, pigs, mules and dogs.

Prometea

The first cloned horse named Prometea was born in the laboratory in the summer of 2003. The cloned cow was also born here.

The latest experiment was carried out in the European Union project to study stem cells in cloned animals. Stem cells are the magic cells of the body, capable of becoming many different mature tissues.

Researchers like to use pigs as a model for transplant research because it resembles humans in skeletons and physiological functions.

MT