Chinese Scientists Successfully Clone Rhesus Monkey

New Technique Increases Cloning Success Rate, Potentially Speeding Up Drug Testing

Chinese scientists have successfully cloned a rhesus monkey, a species widely used in medical research, marking a significant advancement in cloning technology.
The cloned monkey, named 'ReTro', has remained healthy for over two years, indicating the cloning process was successful.
The researchers used a new technique, replacing the placenta of the cloned embryo with one from a normal embryo, which significantly increased the success rate of cloning.
The breakthrough could speed up drug testing as genetically identical animals provide greater certainty in trials.
Despite the success, the cloning process remains extremely difficult with a low success rate, and raises ethical concerns about animal welfare.