Cryozootech : Applications

What is the purpose of creating clones ?

Cloning must be viewed as a genetic enhancement tool available to geneticists and breeders.

Reasons for cloning can differ widely from one to another but they always respond to field simple mechanisms and pinpoint goals :

To produce an individual identical to its model. That is the dream of somebody whose hope is to acquire a champion by using it's performer's genetic duplicate.
To recover the ability to provide a line descent to a sterile or subfertile individual. This is obviously the case of the gelding champion the clone of which will become a stallion as well as old stallions still to play a part but unfortunately sterile.
To increase an individual offspring so that it will more widely contribute to the genetic improvement. This is the case for exceptional mares.

Special applications for performers, geldings, stallions and mares will be developed.


Chellano Z	Gem Twist	Poetin

Not to mention as well applications which today do not relate to horses but which are considered for other species :

To produce several identical individuals to get a more accurate genetic value information by averaging them.
To produce cloned embryos to have some immuno-compatible stem cells available : those would contribute to reconstitute replacement tissues.
To produce identical transgenic animals : cloning is just a tool in the transgenesis technology : we can modify a cell lineage by introducing a foreign gene, using afterwards those modified cells as clones roots.