Seeing Red
In Seoul, South Korea there are four cloned Beagle pups that glow red. Scientists have created the world’s first transgenic dogs carrying fluorescent genes.
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) – South Korean scientists say they have engineered four beagles that glow red using cloning techniques that could help develop cures for human diseases. The four dogs, all named “Ruppy” – a combination of the words “ruby” and “puppy” – look like typical beagles by daylight.
But they glow red under ultraviolet light, and the dogs’ nails and abdomens, which have thin skins, look red even to the naked eye.
“What’s significant in this work is not the dogs expressing red colors but that we planted genes into them,” Lee told The Associated Press on Tuesday.
The glowing dogs show that it is possible to successfully insert genes with a specific trait, which could lead to implanting other, non-fluorescent genes that could help treat specific diseases, Lee said.
The scientist said his team has started to implant human disease-related genes in the course of dog cloning, saying that will help them find new treatments for genetic diseases such as Parkinson’s. He refused to provide further details, saying the research was still under way.
Two for the six puppies died, you have to wonder if it was due to natural causes or the experimentation. I hope these dogs aren’t hurt by the implanted genes.
Is it just me, or does anyone else think this feels a little Pet Sematary-ish ?
*AP Photo/ Seoul National University, HO
I find this rather frightening actually. I think it would be amazing to find a cure for genetic diseases, but at the same time it makes me wonder how people could use the technology for harm rather than good.
And I agree with you. I really hope those dogs are not suffering in any way.
What? I’m a beagle and my brother is a beagle and we are opposed to this a great deal! It is awful. Do we really know that these beagle puppies are not going to be harmed or are not in pain already. I don’t think so. This kind of activity needs to be stopped as far as this beagle is concerned.
I have a problem with is. I think about the number of dogs who are homeless. I;m also concerned about the health and dangers to these pups. It just seems wrong. Only God can create real life and this cloning goes against everything in the Bible. It is just wrong.
I don’t like this. If experiments to help humans are to be performed, then do them on on humans. Use death row inmates for this purpose.
Isn’t S. Korea where Dolly the sheep was cloned? Those poor cloned babies had all kinds of genetic abnormalities. There seems to be a lack of ethics around this animal cloning issue and I wonder about the regulatory agencies in other countries? I’ve also heard that there were cloned human embryos implanted in women somewhere overseas as well (none survived). Something stinks about this and although the novelty is there, it’s creepy. None of the people involved ever seem to give any details. I’m suspicious to say the least.
This sounds awful for the dogs to me. I agree with Mollydog!! I think death row prisoners should be subjected to health issue experiments. I mean we pay for their long term stay on death row they should be used for such experiments. Not poor innocent dogs. This is sick and it is making me see red!!!!
No pun intended whatsoever, but this is just making me see red for some reason. It’s very, very wrong, and to me personally, disgusting that animals, especially dogs, would be used in such a way. You can bet once their usefulness is at an end they’ll be callously disposed of.
I think that it is horrible that they have done this. This is not God’s plan for us. We are not supposed to glow red or even to be cloned. I think it should be stopped and charges pressed for animal cruelty. Shame on them!
We are completely opposed to cloning and genetically altering these poor dogs. Who knows what kind of problems these babies will have. Cloning, in my opinion, is something that we have no business doing. When will we stop? If it keeps as it is going I fear one day someone will try to clone a human… and NOTHING good can come from than.
We do not like this one little bit! We also think cloning is wrong, God did not do this man did this, & there’s not much that man has done that has not hurt or destroyed our animals or planet for that matter. Why don’t they inject themselves with this gene and see what glows?!
i think cloning is a good idea if they clone hearts and other organs for ppl who need transplants
Spike, Sophie and Daisy are all against those mean scientists that are cloning glow in the dark doggies. I bet those scientists are ruff on those puppies. Spike’s mommy is not for anything that goes against God and the Bible. It’s great that people are trying to help other people, but at the expense of a pet??? Come on now. I feel for those puppies. God did not create them, so therefore I’m against this sick cloning thing. ~God Bless~
This isn’t good- not good at all! It is sickening to see puppies glowing in the dark- AND CLONING??? CLONING??? I do not think cloning is right! This is making me “see red” It is making me see a lot of red- a lot- a lot!!! It makes me mad they are doing that to those poor little dogs, i hope those beagles are fine
I feel sad fur those puppies, you can’t just “use” puppies because you “want” to! And what if those puppies are in pain? That would be horrible! Do these scientests care about these dogs feelings and if they are hurt or if something bad happened to them? It is very rude to use an ANIMAL fur something to help a HUMAN! Why can’t they just use it on a human- if I wasn’t against cloning- BUT CLONING IS HORRIBLE! HORRIBLE, SICKENING, AND DISGUSTING!!!!!!!!!
I really hope these puppies are not in an pain or missery or anything very bad- I hope they are doing fine and nothing NOTHING is wrong with them…. but why would they cloning? i don’t like cloning onw bit, why? why? why? why must they clone?! this is very sickining, I am seeing red anger, I hope they don’t clone poor little animals again- EVER! NEVER EVER! That kinda sounds like animal cruelty- to me it does, because those dogs may go through a lot of pain
And cloning is just very bad- very bad in my opinion! I hope this will stop as soon as possible! And I hope this won’t happen ever again!
Riley’s Mom