CLONING BY SOMATIC-CELL NUCLEAR TRANSFER

The birth of the first cloned mammals, produced by the introduction of somatic cell nuclei into enucleated oocytes, was an impressive and su rprising development.((1)) Although the ethical debate has been intens e, the important scientific questions raised by this work have been in adequately discussed and are still unresolved. In th is essay we addre ss three questions about nuclear transplantation in the eg gs of mice and domestic animals. First, why were the recent experiments on somati c cell cloning successful, when so many others have failed? Second, we re these exceptional cases, or is somatic cloning now open to all? Thi rd, what are the future possibilities for increasing the efficiency an d wider applicability of the cloning process? (C) 1998 John Wiley & So ns, Inc.