China clones gene-edited monkeys to aid research

SHANGHAI: Chinese scientists announced on Thursday 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. Most recently a Chinese scientist claimed last year he had altered the DNA of babies to make them HIV-proof.

A research team from the Institute of Neuroscience at the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Shanghai said it had altered the genes of a macaque to give it circadian rhythm disorder, in which the body’s "clock" is out of sync with normal sleep times.