Shanghai researchers have produced the world's first gene-modified cloned rabbit.

The rabbit is to be used in research to find out causes of human diseases, Jiao Tong University officials said yesterday.

The rabbit was born on September 14 in the city's Xinhua Hospital affiliated to Jiao Tong's medical school and weighs 1,400 grams.

Although it appears to be an ordinary rabbit, the gene-modified clone creature is different from its peers as it exudes green lights when it is put under the examination of a fluoroscope.

"That's because we have injected special genes into the rabbit," said Chen Xuejin, vice professor with Jiao Tong's medical school and the research team leader.

"That is the other cutting-edge technology that is used in this experiment aside from the clone methodology."

Chen and his colleagues started the test by extracting glowing protein genes from a jellyfish. With physical and chemical treatment, the gene was transplanted into the rabbit's fiber cells before the gene-modified cell was injected into a rabbit embryo.

The next step was to place the reconstructed embryo into the body of a female rabbit. It was born by caesarean section after a pregnancy period of 30 days.

The team produced other rabbits using the same cloning technology with gene modification but most of them died soon after birth.

To avoid premature death, researchers found a nanny rabbit which had just given birth and put it with newborn peers.

As rabbits share similar genes with human beings, the gene-modified clone rabbit is expected to be used in disease research.

It would be of special help in the study of eye diseases and cardiovascular conditions, said Li Shangang, a researcher with the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences.

(Shanghai Daily December 15, 2007)