There’s been a great deal of hype about cloning within the animal world, in an attempt to be offered as evidence that this type of science can be utilized to benefit the human race. Perhaps the most famous of the more recent attempts was when the successful cloning of a sheep – dubbed Dolly – captured the attention of the public. To the surprise of some, however, sheep aren’t the only members of the animal kingdom that have been assisting in the process of cloning research. In reality, monkeys have also been recruited to fill those same roles.
A small Rhesus Macaque monkey – given the name ANDi by researchers – was the first genetically modified monkey in history. In an attempt to discover a way to fight disease within the human species, scientists altered ANDi’s genetic composition to include a simple jellyfish gene, with the hope that the cell’s molecule would glow when viewed under the proper microscopic equipment, as do those of jellyfish. Scientists at the Oregon Regional Primate Research Center applied this gene to a monkey egg which ultimately produced little ANDi, who remained fit and healthy after her birth. Their intention, they stated, was to experiment with a variety of different types of genes in order to discover a way to eradicate illness within humans, going to far as to discuss the possibility of being able to rid humans of Alzheimer’s in the future, through the use of this process. Animals Rights groups have long been protesting such practices, and the restrictions that have been imposed on cloning in the recent past have made it that much more difficult for experiments such as these to be conducted. For those who may have wondered how ANDi came by her name, one of the leading research scientists has explained that it simply stands for “inserted DNA” when spelled backward.
Tetra, another Rhesus Macaque clone, found her claim to fame by being the first cloned monkey which was produced by a split embryo. Nudged into life by the same research center that cloned ANDi, Tetra (the Greek word for “four”) was the only one of four monkey embryos that survived during a procedure that resembles the in-vitro fertilization techniques that’s often used in women who are unable to conceive. Tetra’s purpose in life? As the first occurrence of a perfect monkey clone that was produced from a split embryo, researchers now know that the information can be used repeatedly, in order to create an abundance of research monkeys for various experiments in labs around the world. In other words, they’re not only planning to continue animal experimentation, but are now devising plans to create their very own animals for the purposes of doing so.