Research shows genetic abnormalities in clones

from the gene-blues dept.
A study by researchers at the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research and University of Hawaii that one method used for cloning animals can produce seemingly normal-looking clones that harbor serious abnormalities affecting gene expression that may not manifest themselves as outward characteristics. The research was reported in the July 6 issue of Science.
In addition, their work found that mice cloned from embryonic stem cells exhibited a wide variety in gene expression, as well as extremely unstable gene expression in the stem cells themselves. This may shed light on why current cloning methods produce few live births and abnormally large survivors.
However, many of the cloned mice in the study survived to adulthood, however, meaning that mammals may be more tolerant of this type of widespread gene dysregulation during development than previously suspected.