Glowing cat clones the first step in possible disease treatments?

[Spade]

SKorean Scientists Clone Cats That Glow
2007-12-14 21:25:33

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korean scientists have cloned cats that glow red when exposed to ultraviolet rays, an achievement that could help develop cures for human genetic diseases, the Science and Technology Ministry said.

Three Turkish Angora cats were born in January and February through cloning with a gene that produces a red fluorescent protein that makes them glow in dark. One died at birth, but the two others survived, the ministry said.

The ministry claimed it was the first time cats with modified genes have been cloned.

Scientists from Gyeongsang National University and Sunchon National University took skin cells from a cat and inserted the fluorescent gene into them before transplanting the genetically modified cells into eggs.

The development means other genes can also be inserted in the course of cloning, paving the way for producing lab cats with genetic diseases, including those of humans, to help develop new treatments, the ministry said.

"Cats have similar genes to those of humans," said veterinary professor Kong Il-keun of Gyeongsang National University. "We can make genetically modified cats that can be used to develop new cures for genetic diseases."

Keitaro Kato, a geneticist at Kinki University in western Japan who has cloned fish, said the research could be significant if it eventually helps treat people with hereditary diseases.

"People with genetic disorders usually have to receive treatment throughout their lives that is very hard on them," Kato said. "If these results can help to make their lives easier, then I think it's a wonderful thing."

South Korea's scientific reputation suffered a heavy blow after much-hailed stem-cell breakthroughs by scientist Hwang Woo-suk were found to be faked in late 2005. He remains on trial on fraud and other charges.

http://www.myembarq.com/news/news_reader.php?storyid=15664522&feedid=176

Despite this claim of possible genetic cures, my mind can't help but try and think of a LOLcat joke for this.

 

[Arcturus]

Heh, that's awesome! Good article as well. What's next, cats which can form to become Devastator? Or a talking pigeon? What about monkeys writing Shakespeare? Or a flying dog? Hmmmm, to many possibilities.

 

[Hollow Wood Director]

This seems like a very bad idea to me. Tampering with genes is probably and most certainly going to lead to more problems in the future.

For a start they are manipulating genes with viruses that never encountered one another before, anytime a foreign body is introduced for the first time some kind of deconstruction of the perfectly normal gene takes place.

Why the hell did they pick cats? Surely there are enough human beings out there who would want to glow in the dark? Kidding aside I really don't think this kind of tampering with nature is a good thing period, but if they feel the need to do it then why not experiment on incacerated prisoners who have been proven without a single doubt to have commited the worst crimes in humanity?

Again innocent animals are used as test subjects, creatures without a voice who most certainly can feel pain inflicted on them and this is just so wrong, they might as well have human babies to torture too.

 

[Sandman138]

This is nothing new. I was part of a group for high school kids that had us adding the phosphorescent gene from jelly fish into E-Coli to use as a way to trace cells in the blood. This was five or six years back, and obviously as it was for high schoolers, the actual technology had been well developed years before we ever encountered it. Still, I wants me a glow in teh dark kitteh.

 

[bullets]

i'm all for this type of research . i say the brighter the cat ,the brighter the future.

 

[DV8]

that's effin crazy!! on a different note; that other white cat looks just like my cat

 

[Docker2.0]

I don't understand why they picked cats either. With all this cloning going on, is anyone not thinking that they haven't already cloned a human being? I'm just waiting for them to announce 10 years from now that 300 people were cloned and released into society.
How can we do all these crazy things but yet can't build a ship to go to Mars or even use wormhole technology to travel to other worlds?

 

[MaskedManJRK]

Still, I wants me a glow in teh dark kitteh.

Thank God I wasn't the only one! t:

 

[Docker2.0]

I wouldn't. Those cats are horror movies in the making!