Chinese scientists report they have bred the country’s first genetically engineered rhesus monkey, a step that could speed up the development of cures for diseases ranging from cancer to Alzheimer’s.
Ji Weizhi, a researcher with the Kunming Institute of Zoology under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said scientists used green fluorescent protein (GFP), a substance that was originally isolated from a jellyfish and is now commonly used as a biotech marker, and implanted transgenic embryos in the uteri of surrogate mother monkeys.
An animal tagged with GFP glows green when exposed to ultraviolet light, proving that a key gene sequence has been switched on, China.org.cn reported.
However, the report said some experts have warned of the potential for an ethics storm, arising from fears that technology used on primates could be used to create genetically engineered humans.
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