'Dead End': Radical 20-Year Study Reveals Genetic Cloning Hits a Limit
By Carly Cassella
Published on March 24, 2026.
Researchers from the University of Yamanashi in Japan have discovered a genetic 'dead end' to mammal cloning, after a 20-year study that involved cloning a single female mouse, transferring its nuclear DNA into an egg 'emptied' of nuclear DNA for 57 generations, producing over 1,200 mice from that original donor. The study, led by geneticist Sayaka Wakayama, found that the re-cloned mice accumulated so many genetic mutations that they died the day after they were born. This is the first peer-reviewed research to'seriously' clone a mammal. The findings suggest that mammal species can be surprisingly tolerant of genetic mutations, remaining fit and able to reproduce even amidst genetic alterations.
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