Researchers in Massachusetts have cloned three goats that have been genetically altered to produce a protein in their milk which could be used to treat heart attack and stroke victims. The goats were born last autumn at the Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine and Genzyme Transgenics Corp. in Farmington. Use of cloning technology could result in faster and less expensive breeding of transgenic goats that produce the crucial Antithrombin III protein. Current methods of producing human proteins for therapy are low-yield, expensive and risky. But the the layering of cloning techniques on top of the transgenic work could pave the way for producing cheap and reliable pharmaceuticals for the treatment of a variety of common conditions. Genzyme believes there is a $200m a year market for Antithrombin III in Europe, where it is more readily used in treatment than in the US. The work is reported in the May issue of Nature Biotechnology.
Goats cloned for milk protein
Image by Sílvia Ferreira, Cristina Lopo and Eileen Gentleman via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts a single human stem cell embedded within a porous hydrogel matrix (false colour).
Researchers in Massachusetts have cloned three goats that have been genetically altered to produce a protein in their milk which could be used to treat heart attack and stroke victims. The goats were born last autumn at the Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine and Genzyme Transgenics Corp. in Farmington...
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