Researchers clone the first mammal

July 6, 1996. Dolly, the first mammal to be successfully cloned from adult cells, is born in Scotland. Her birth was made possible by the work of embryologists Ian Wilmut, Keith Campbell and their colleagues at the Roslin Institute.

She had three mothers: the sheep who donated the mammary cells, the sheep who donated an egg cell and the sheep who gestated the embryo. They report her birth in the February 27, 1997 issue of Nature.

“Dolly was the sole survivor from 277 transfers of adult nu-clei. The procedure has now been extended to cattle, goats, and mice, but the success rate remains very low, seldom more than 3%. Of those that are placed in surrogate mothers, many die in utero. Others die at birth, often with abnormalities” (McLaren, 2000).

She was euthanized in 2003 after developing progressive lung disease and arthritis; the post-mortem exam showed that she had a common viral form of cancer. For that reason, the Roslin institute concluded that her manner of birth had no bearing on her lifespan (Finn Dorset sheep often lives to 11 or 12 years), despite speculation that she had been born at the genetic age of 6 years.

Since Dolly, numerous other large mammals have been cloned, including horses and bulls. Cloning has been suggested as a means of preserving endangered species or even reviving species that have gone extinct, such as the mammoth or the thylacine (Tasmanian tiger). Cloned animals, and their products, are currently approved for human consumption by the United States' FDA. The offspring of cloned animals are increasingly common among animals sold for human consumption within the United States.

Health Canada's interim policy on cloned livestock, released September 24, 2003 (FD-FSNP-075) reads:

"Until more is known about the products of this technology, Health Canada will consider foods produced from livestock developed using SCNT and the progeny of such livestock to be captured under the definition of "novel food" in the Food and Drug Regulations in that they have been obtained by a reproductive technology which has not previously been applied to generate animals that would be used to manufacture foods (meat, eggs, milk, etc.) and which may result in a major change in these foods. They are therefore subject to the regulations in Division 28, Part B, of the Food and Drug Regulations (Novel Foods). Developers producing cloned animals through SCNT must, therefore, not sell the products or by-products of any cloned animals or their progeny in the human food supply in Canada unless they have been subjected to the pre-market safety assessment required of novel foods." (Health Canada, 2003)

Health Canada's full statement may be read here.

Human cloning is currently banned by Australia, the European Union, the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada due to its ethical implications. Scientists hope that cloning techniques could be extended to harvest embryonic stem cells to treat conditions such as Parkinson’s disease. Cloning has traditionally been associated with eugenic theories, particularly towards genetic discrimination (Boloz, 2001). Although much progress has been made with the latter, it continues to be a very controversial ethical issue.

For more information about Canada's policy on human cloning, please see "Canada Closes Door on Cloning" (Wired, 03.17.04). Health Canada's summary of Canada's policy on human cloning may be read here.

-Erna Kurbegovic, Amy Dyrbye, and Colette Leung

Researchers clone the first mammal

July 6, 1996. Dolly, the first mammal to be successfully cloned from adult cells, is born in Scotland. Her birth was made possible by the work of embryologists Ian Wilmut, Keith Campbell and their colleagues at the Roslin Institute.

She had three mothers: the sheep who donated the mammary cells, the sheep who donated an egg cell and the sheep who gestated the embryo. They report her birth in the February 27, 1997 issue of Nature.

“Dolly was the sole survivor from 277 transfers of adult nu-clei. The procedure has now been extended to cattle, goats, and mice, but the success rate remains very low, seldom more than 3%. Of those that are placed in surrogate mothers, many die in utero. Others die at birth, often with abnormalities” (McLaren, 2000).

She was euthanized in 2003 after developing progressive lung disease and arthritis; the post-mortem exam showed that she had a common viral form of cancer. For that reason, the Roslin institute concluded that her manner of birth had no bearing on her lifespan (Finn Dorset sheep often lives to 11 or 12 years), despite speculation that she had been born at the genetic age of 6 years.

Since Dolly, numerous other large mammals have been cloned, including horses and bulls. Cloning has been suggested as a means of preserving endangered species or even reviving species that have gone extinct, such as the mammoth or the thylacine (Tasmanian tiger). Cloned animals, and their products, are currently approved for human consumption by the United States' FDA. The offspring of cloned animals are increasingly common among animals sold for human consumption within the United States.

Health Canada's interim policy on cloned livestock, released September 24, 2003 (FD-FSNP-075) reads:

"Until more is known about the products of this technology, Health Canada will consider foods produced from livestock developed using SCNT and the progeny of such livestock to be captured under the definition of "novel food" in the Food and Drug Regulations in that they have been obtained by a reproductive technology which has not previously been applied to generate animals that would be used to manufacture foods (meat, eggs, milk, etc.) and which may result in a major change in these foods. They are therefore subject to the regulations in Division 28, Part B, of the Food and Drug Regulations (Novel Foods). Developers producing cloned animals through SCNT must, therefore, not sell the products or by-products of any cloned animals or their progeny in the human food supply in Canada unless they have been subjected to the pre-market safety assessment required of novel foods." (Health Canada, 2003)

Health Canada's full statement may be read here.

Human cloning is currently banned by Australia, the European Union, the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada due to its ethical implications. Scientists hope that cloning techniques could be extended to harvest embryonic stem cells to treat conditions such as Parkinson’s disease. Cloning has traditionally been associated with eugenic theories, particularly towards genetic discrimination (Boloz, 2001). Although much progress has been made with the latter, it continues to be a very controversial ethical issue.

For more information about Canada's policy on human cloning, please see "Canada Closes Door on Cloning" (Wired, 03.17.04). Health Canada's summary of Canada's policy on human cloning may be read here.

-Erna Kurbegovic, Amy Dyrbye, and Colette Leung

Researchers clone the first mammal

July 6, 1996. Dolly, the first mammal to be successfully cloned from adult cells, is born in Scotland. Her birth was made possible by the work of embryologists Ian Wilmut, Keith Campbell and their colleagues at the Roslin Institute.

She had three mothers: the sheep who donated the mammary cells, the sheep who donated an egg cell and the sheep who gestated the embryo. They report her birth in the February 27, 1997 issue of Nature.

“Dolly was the sole survivor from 277 transfers of adult nu-clei. The procedure has now been extended to cattle, goats, and mice, but the success rate remains very low, seldom more than 3%. Of those that are placed in surrogate mothers, many die in utero. Others die at birth, often with abnormalities” (McLaren, 2000).

She was euthanized in 2003 after developing progressive lung disease and arthritis; the post-mortem exam showed that she had a common viral form of cancer. For that reason, the Roslin institute concluded that her manner of birth had no bearing on her lifespan (Finn Dorset sheep often lives to 11 or 12 years), despite speculation that she had been born at the genetic age of 6 years.

Since Dolly, numerous other large mammals have been cloned, including horses and bulls. Cloning has been suggested as a means of preserving endangered species or even reviving species that have gone extinct, such as the mammoth or the thylacine (Tasmanian tiger). Cloned animals, and their products, are currently approved for human consumption by the United States' FDA. The offspring of cloned animals are increasingly common among animals sold for human consumption within the United States.

Health Canada's interim policy on cloned livestock, released September 24, 2003 (FD-FSNP-075) reads:

"Until more is known about the products of this technology, Health Canada will consider foods produced from livestock developed using SCNT and the progeny of such livestock to be captured under the definition of "novel food" in the Food and Drug Regulations in that they have been obtained by a reproductive technology which has not previously been applied to generate animals that would be used to manufacture foods (meat, eggs, milk, etc.) and which may result in a major change in these foods. They are therefore subject to the regulations in Division 28, Part B, of the Food and Drug Regulations (Novel Foods). Developers producing cloned animals through SCNT must, therefore, not sell the products or by-products of any cloned animals or their progeny in the human food supply in Canada unless they have been subjected to the pre-market safety assessment required of novel foods." (Health Canada, 2003)

Health Canada's full statement may be read here.

Human cloning is currently banned by Australia, the European Union, the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada due to its ethical implications. Scientists hope that cloning techniques could be extended to harvest embryonic stem cells to treat conditions such as Parkinson’s disease. Cloning has traditionally been associated with eugenic theories, particularly towards genetic discrimination (Boloz, 2001). Although much progress has been made with the latter, it continues to be a very controversial ethical issue.

For more information about Canada's policy on human cloning, please see "Canada Closes Door on Cloning" (Wired, 03.17.04). Health Canada's summary of Canada's policy on human cloning may be read here.

-Erna Kurbegovic, Amy Dyrbye, and Colette Leung