trangenic animals
Transgenic Animals: Ethical Issues and Benefits to Human Welfare
Nowadays, breakthroughs in molecular biology are happening at an unprecedented rate. One of them is the ability to engineer transgenic animals, i.e., animals that carry genes from other species. The technology has already produced transgenic animals such as mice, rats, rabbits, pigs, sheep, and cows. Although there are many ethical issues surrounding transgenesis, this article focuses on the basics of the technology and its applications in agriculture, medicine, and industry.
There are various definitions for the term transgenic animal. The Federation of European Laboratory Animal Associations defines the term as an animal in which there has been a deliberate modification of its genome, the genetic makeup of an organism responsible for inherited characteristics.
The majority of transgenic animals produced so far are mice, the animal that pioneered the technology. The first successful transgenic animal was a mouse. A few years later, it was followed by rabbits, pigs, sheep, and cattle. The two most common reasons are: Some transgenic animals are produced for specific economic traits. For example, transgenic cattle were created to produce milk containing particular human proteins, which may help in the treatment of human emphysema. Other transgenic animals are produced as disease models (animals genetically manipulated to exhibit disease symptoms so that effective treatment can be studied). For example, Harvard scientists made a major scientific breakthrough when they received a U.S. patent (the company DuPont holds exclusive rights to its use) for a genetically engineered mouse, called OncoMouse® or the Harvard mouse, carrying a gene that promotes the development of various human cancers.
Since the discovery of the molecular structure of DNA by Watson and Crick in 1953, molecular biology research has gained momentum. Molecular biology technology combines techniques and expertise from
Nowadays, breakthroughs in molecular biology are happening at an unprecedented rate. One of them is the ability to engineer transgenic animals, i.e., animals that carry genes from other species. The technology has already produced transgenic animals such as mice, rats, rabbits, pigs, sheep, and cows. Although there are many ethical issues surrounding transgenesis, this article focuses on the basics of the technology and its applications in agriculture, medicine, and industry.
There are various definitions for the term transgenic animal. The Federation of European Laboratory Animal Associations defines the term as an animal in which there has been a deliberate modification of its genome, the genetic makeup of an organism responsible for inherited characteristics.
The majority of transgenic animals produced so far are mice, the animal that pioneered the technology. The first successful transgenic animal was a mouse. A few years later, it was followed by rabbits, pigs, sheep, and cattle. The two most common reasons are: Some transgenic animals are produced for specific economic traits. For example, transgenic cattle were created to produce milk containing particular human proteins, which may help in the treatment of human emphysema. Other transgenic animals are produced as disease models (animals genetically manipulated to exhibit disease symptoms so that effective treatment can be studied). For example, Harvard scientists made a major scientific breakthrough when they received a U.S. patent (the company DuPont holds exclusive rights to its use) for a genetically engineered mouse, called OncoMouse® or the Harvard mouse, carrying a gene that promotes the development of various human cancers.
Since the discovery of the molecular structure of DNA by Watson and Crick in 1953, molecular biology research has gained momentum. Molecular biology technology combines techniques and expertise from