The technology could lead to the development of a variety of
animal models of diseases having a greater resemblance to the
corresponding human conditions than do any animal models now in
existence. The new accomplishment could also provide insights
into human diseases and to techniques for treating a variety of
human disorders, from cancer, to cystic fibrosis, to Alzheimer's
disease, to birth defects, to heart disease, to AIDS. The
finding, which appears in the current issue of Science, was
reported by Gerald Schatten, Ph.D., and his coworkers at the
Oregon Regional Primate Research Center at the Oregon Health
Sciences University in Portland, Oregon. "This research breaks a
technical barrier," said NICHD Director Duane Alexander, M.D.
"The technology paves the way for developing new models for
testing treatments for a variety of diseases in a more relevant
way than is currently possible." Although scientists have often
inserted genes into other animals, they have lacked the
technical means to introduce new ge