China clones gene-edited monkeys to aid research

Precarious achievement: The five cloned macaques at the research institution near Shanghai. — AFP

Shanghai: Chinese scientists announced they had cloned five monkeys from a single animal that was genetically engineered to have a sleep disorder, saying it could aid research into human psychological problems.

The claim, detailed in two reports published in a Chinese science journal, is the latest in a series of biomedical advances in the country, some of which have fuelled medical ethics debates.