A Research Breakthrough: Cloned Rats

French researchers say they have succeeded in producing the world's first cloned rats, and they believe their technology can be used to generate targeted mutations in the rat that will speed drug discovery. The cloning was reported in the September 25 online issue of Science.

What makes this development so important is that rats are physiologically closer to humans than most other species used in research and are reliable models for the study of many human diseases. This cloning will lead to genetically modified rat models of greater predictability and quality, according to the researchers, which will improve scientific results.

The cloning announcement was made by genOway (Lyon, France), a leading French provider of transgenic cellular and animal models, and its partner, the National Institute of Agronomic Research (INRA, Paris, France; www.inra.fr). In the cloning, genOway applied a proprietary technology platform derived from nuclear transfer. The adult male and female clones are fertile and exhibit no abnormalities.
GenOway is now focusing on the generation of cloned animals with specific genetic modifications (knock-out and knock-in rats), designed to provide improved models for highly relevant therapeutic areas such as atherosclerosis and Alzheimer's disease. In parallel, the company is also working on new and better models for toxicology and pharmacology studies, two key steps in the drug development process.

"The combination of genOway's expertise and INRA's capabilities has been very successful in controlling activation of rat oocytes, the critical parameter in rat reproduction. As a result, we have now mastered the only technology that can achieve targeted genetic modifications in rats,” said Dr. Jean-Paul Renard, head of reproduction and developmental biology, INRA.





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