On 22 February 1997, the Roslin Institute in Scotland announced the birth of Dolly the Sheep, the first mammal successfully cloned from an adult somatic cell. This groundbreaking achievement, led by scientists Ian Wilmut and Keith Campbell, represented a milestone in biotechnology and sparked global debates on the ethics and potential applications of cloning.
Dolly, named after the singer Dolly Parton, was born on 5 July 1996, but her existence was kept confidential until the research was published in the journal Nature. The cloning process involved transferring the nucleus from an adult sheep's mammary cell into an enucleated egg cell, which was then implanted into a surrogate mother.
Dolly lived for six and a half years and gave birth to six healthy lambs, proving that cloned animals could reproduce naturally. Her existence opened avenues for advancements in regenerative medicine, including the development of personalized stem cell therapies.
However, Dolly's premature aging and health issues raised questions about the viability and long-term effects of cloning. Despite the controversy, her creation remains a pivotal moment in scientific history, with lasting implications for genetics, medicine, and ethical considerations.