Family Dog Cloned Thanks to Dolly Patents

BioArts International announced today that delivered the world’s first commercially cloned dog, a 10-week old Labrador named Lancey, to Florida residents Edgar and Nina Otto.  According to the press release issued by the company, “BioArts International is a biotech company focused on unique, untapped markets in the global companion animal, stem cell and human genomics industries. The Best Friends Again programis a collaboration between BioArts and the Sooam Biotech Research Foundation in South Korea, home to the best and most experienced dog cloning team in the world.”  The technology that makes this animal cloning possible stems from the cloning patents developed at the Roslin Institute for the cloning of the now famous, or infamous depending on your view, Dolly the sheep.

The Ottos were one of five families to bid and win an auction held by BioArts International in July for a chance to clone their family dog. Lancey’s genetic donor, Sir Lancelot, died in January, 2008, and the Ottos had his DNA stored. By October, samples from the original dog were on their way to the Sooam Biotech Research Foundation in Seoul, South Korea, which provides cloning services to BioArts.

Lancey was born on November 18th, 2008, and brought to the US on January 25th, 2009 after being weaned from his surrogate mother.  Lancey was hand delivered to the Ottos on Monday, January 26th by BioArts Chairman Lou Hawthorne. “This is a very special milestone for our company – and great fun for me too,” said Hawthorne, who delivered Lancey personally.  “We can’t believe this day is finally here,” said Nina Otto, “We are so happy to have little Lancey in our family. His predecessor was a very special dog. We are thrilled beyond words!”

BioArts has been granted the sole, worldwide license for the cloning of dogs, cats and endangered species. The license was granted by Start Licensing, Inc. and applies to the somatic cell nuclear transfer(SCNT) cloning patents developed at the Roslin Institute for the cloning of Dolly the sheep.

While it is unclear from news reports exactly which of Roslin’s worldwide patents BioArts has been granted an exclusive license under, the Roslin Institute does have some 13 issued US Patents, the first being US Patent No. 7,265,262, which was issued on September 4, 2007 and titled Telomerizing nuclear donor cells and improving the efficiency on nuclear transfer. The ‘262 patent was filed on March 21, 2002, and claiming the benefit of an earlier filed provisional patent application, which was filed on March 21, 2001.  The remainder of the Roslin Institute US patent portfolio includes:

US Patent No. 7,307,198 titled Ungulates produced by nuclear transfer of G1 cells

US Patent No. 7,304,204 titled Ungulates produced by nuclear transfer of G1 cells 

US Patent No. 7,321,076 titled Unactivated ungulate oocytes to produce a cloned ungulate by nuclear transfer 

US Patent No. 7,332,648 titled Unactivated oocytes in nuclear transfer to produce cultured inner cell mass cells and ungulates 

US Patent No. 7,321,075  titled Serial nuclear transfer of ungulate embryos

US Patent No. 7,326,825 titled Methods of ungulate nuclear transfer 

US Patent No. 7,326,824 titled Unactivated ungulate oocytes to produce a transgenic ungulate by nuclear transfer 

US Patent No. 7,329,796 titled Serial nuclear transfer of ungulate embryos 

US Patent No. 7,355,094 titled Methods of ungulate nuclear transfer 

US Patent No. 7,361,804 titled Unactivated oocytes in nuclear transfer to produce ungulates 

US Patent No. 7,413,865 titled Diagnostic method for a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy or prion disease 

US Patent No. 7,432,415 titled Unactivated oocytes as cytoplast recipients for nonprimate mammalian and pig nuclear transfer

Roslin Institute also has another 22 published applications pending in the US. 


About the Author

Eugene R. Quinn, Jr.
President & Founder of IPWatchdog, Inc.
US Patent Attorney (Reg. No. 44,294)

B.S. in Electrical Engineering, Rutgers University
J.D., Franklin Pierce Law Center
L.L.M. in Intellectual Property, Franklin Pierce Law Center
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Gene is a US Patent Attorney, Law Professor and the founder of IPWatchdog.com. He teaches patent bar review courses and is a member of the Board of Directors of the United Inventors Association. Gene has been quoted in the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, the LA Times, CNN Money and various other newspapers and magazines worldwide

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3 comments so far.

  • [Avatar for Gene Quinn]
    Gene Quinn
    April 16, 2009 10:15 am

    Ben-

    I agree with you. I would rather we stick to reproducing naturally rather than playing God.

    -Gene

  • [Avatar for ben]
    ben
    April 15, 2009 08:17 am

    But it will not be your dog, just another one with the same genetics material, like for humains your personnality is part made by your genetics and part made by your experience, so your young cloned dog my have a different personality than the dead one depending on experience with his mother or his brother for instance.
    I think it’s a lot more easier with virtually the same result to have your dog reproduce and keep a puppy.

  • [Avatar for Vince]
    Vince
    February 18, 2009 07:05 am

    Ok..i was waiting for this for some time now…
    My dog is 8..and hopefully live another 4 years or so.
    Will it be possible for me in the near future to obtain a new dog based on my current one.even when i’m not a millionaire???

    I think once we find a companion that suits we could/should preserve it..
    Cloning is a way..unless the telomeres will be controlled some day and i can make a life time partner of my dog ;-), jee i would love that!
    I doubt if society will ever be briefed on this..it would’t be wise to do so