Innovative Approaches

Technology for Animal Cloning

Nuclear transfer is the technique currently used to clone adult animals, which was first successfully demonstrated with the birth of “Dolly the sheep." The process involves transferring a cell nucleus, which contains the genetic material (DNA) of the animal to be cloned, to an egg cell that has had its nucleus removed. The cytoplasm that remains in the enucleated egg can reprogram the nucleus from the adult cell to initiate full development as if it were a newly fertilized egg. Since the birth of Dolly, nuclear transfer has been used to clone many other animal species, including mice, rats, goats, cattle, rabbits, cats, dogs, horses and pigs.

Geron acquired an exclusive license for the use of nuclear transfer technology in multiple applications in animal and human biology. Today, the intellectual property portfolio covering nuclear transfer in animals is held by ViaGen, Inc., a global leader in commercial animal gene banking and cloning services and a Geron affiliate. Geron has retained all rights for use of nuclear transfer technology in human cells.

Agricultural Applications

In the agricultural sector, including the beef, dairy and pork industries, our nuclear transfer technology can be used to produce large numbers of genetically identical animals with superior commercial qualities such as disease resistance, longevity, growth rate and product quality. Following extensive study, the FDA has concluded that meat and milk from healthy cow, pig, and goat clones and their offspring are as safe to eat as products from animals produced by conventional breeding methods.

Biologics Production Research

Our nuclear transfer technology can also be applied to clone animals that have been genetically engineered to produce proteins for human therapeutic or industrial use. Herds which carry the genes to make human antibodies could be cloned to support the large-scale production of therapeutic antibodies or vaccines.