Cloning of Rabbits

Nuclear transfer using somatic cells in rabbit offers new opportunities for genetic engineering in this species, important both as an experimental model and for food production. As described in detail in this chapter, nuclear transfer with blastomeres of embryos or somatic cells has succeeded in the rabbit, although the use of somatic cells caused more difficulties than originally expected. Although the efficiency of the overall cloning process has been low, with only a few cases of successful somatic cell cloning of rabbits reported worldwide, there is hope that recent results will facilitate progress in improving the cloning efficiency in this species, thus allowing practical applications of the cloning technology to follow in the near future.