Get a printable copy (PDF file) of the complete article (1.4M), or click on a page image below to browse page by page. Full textįull text is available as a scanned copy of the original print version. In the meantime, veterinarians and theriogenologists have an important role to play in improving the efficiency of cloning by finding treatments to assure normal gestation to term and to develop preventative and curative care for cloned neonates. Although the cause of these anomalies remains mostly unknown, similar phenotypes have been observed in calves derived through in vitro fertilization, suggesting that culture conditions are involved in these phenomena.
Research into the mechanisms involved in the reprogramming of the nucleus is being conducted throughout the world in an attempt to better understand the molecular and cellular mechanisms involved in correcting these problems. Although cloning promises great advantages for commerce and research alike, its outcome is not always certain due to high pregnancy losses and high morbidity and mortality during the neonatal period.
Other applications will also undoubtedly be discovered in the near future, such as for preserving endangered breeds and species. Animal cloning is becoming a useful technique for producing transgenic farm animals and is likely to be used to produce clones from valuable adults.
