Can reducing sugar intake during early childhood lower the risk of dementia later in life?

A new study published in the journal Neurology suggests that limiting sugar consumption during the first two years of life may be linked to a significantly lower risk of developing dementia in adulthood.

Researchers from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology analyzed data from more than 64,000 people in the United Kingdom, comparing those born during and after the era of sugar rationing. The findings indicate that individuals exposed to lower sugar intake early in life had a 21–23% lower risk of dementia, with some cases delayed by an average of 2.6 years.

However, experts caution that this is an observational study, meaning it identifies an association rather than proving that sugar directly causes or prevents dementia.

Can Eating Less Sugar in Childhood Reduce Dementia Risk? New Study Reveals Surprising Link

Could Viagra, the widely used drug for erectile dysfunction, become part of the fight against cancer?

A new study suggests that sildenafil, commonly known by its brand name Viagra, may help slow the spread of cancer by limiting the ability of cancer cells to use cholesterol—an essential component that helps them migrate and form new tumors.

Researchers say the drug's anti-metastatic effects could become even stronger when combined with statins, which reduce cholesterol production. The findings, published in the journal Cancer Research, also indicate that patients taking sildenafil showed improved survival rates.

While the research is promising, scientists emphasize that more clinical studies are needed before Viagra can be recommended as a cancer treatment.

Viagra May Help Fight Cancer Spread? Scientists Discover Promising New Use for Sildenafil

New research has made a remarkable discovery that can significantly change the quality of healthcare for children. Medical clowns can help children recover quicker and reduce their hospital stays.

Medical clowns are trained professionals who use humour and playfulness to entertain children who are undergoing a treatment at hospital. The new research has found evidence that suggests that they can reduce the time children stay in the hospital and the duration of antibiotic treatment for pneumonia.

The study conducted on 51 children revealed that those who were visited by medical clowns left the hospital a day earlier than those who weren't.

“They have been shown to reduce pain and alleviate stress and anxiety in children and their families during medical treatment, and have been gradually integrated into many aspects of hospital care," said Dr Karin Yaacoby-Bianu, a researcher at the Carmel Medical Centre and Israel Institute of Technology, Israel. “But their impact on children being treated for pneumonia has not been investigated.”

“Community-acquired pneumonia is one of the leading causes of hospitalisation in children, globally,” said Yaacoby-Bianu.

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<h2>Laughter can have healing effects</h2>

The research was presented at the 2024 European Respiratory Society Congress. They divided 51 children aged between 2 and 18 into two groups, who were hospitalised for pneumonia.&nbsp;

During their stay, one of the groups included four 15-minute visits from a medical clown from the Dream Doctors Project. The clowns did various activities like singing, music, and guided meditation.&nbsp;

It was found that the group visited by clowns remained in the hospital for 43.5 hours and needed 2 days of IV antibiotic treatment, on average. The second group who were not visited by the clown stayed for 70 hours on average and needed 3 days of IV antibiotics. Other parameters like heart rate and inflammation were also lower in the group visited by clowns.

“While the practice of medical clowning is not a standardised interaction, we believe that it helps to alleviate stress and anxiety, improves psychological adjustment to the hospital environment and allows patients to better participate in treatment plans like adherence to oral antibiotics and fluids,” explains Yaacoby-Bianu.

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“Laughter and humour may also have direct physiological benefits by lowering respiratory and heart rates, reducing air trapping, modulating hormones, and enhancing the immune function.”

<h2>Medical clowns may ease the stress</h2>

Dr Stefan Unger, a paediatrician at the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People Edinburgh, UK, says that adding medical clowns to the care team "may reduce physical and emotional stress on children and their families."

“It may also reduce costs and lift some of the burden on healthcare systems.”

The researchers are now examining whether medical clowns have similar effects on other diseases.

(With inputs from agencies)

New research has made a remarkable discovery that can significantly change the quality of healthcare for children. Medical clowns can help children recover quicker and reduce their hospital stays.

New research has made a remarkable discovery that can significantly change the quality of healthcare for children. Medical clowns can help children recover quicker and reduce their hospital stays. Medical clowns are trained professionals who use humour and playfulness to entertain children who are undergoing a treatment at hospital. The new research has found evidence that suggests that they can reduce the time children stay in the hospital and the duration of antibiotic treatment for pneumonia. The study conducted on 51 children revealed that those who were visited by medical clowns left the hospital a day earlier than those who weren't. “They have been shown to reduce pain and alleviate stress and anxiety in children and their families during medical treatment, and have been gradually integrated into many aspects of hospital care," said Dr Karin Yaacoby-Bianu, a researcher at the Carmel Medical Centre and Israel Institute of Technology, Israel. “But their impact on children being treated for pneumonia has not been investigated.” “Community-acquired pneumonia is one of the leading causes of hospitalisation in children, globally,” said Yaacoby-Bianu. Also read | Pandemic scare! 125 viruses found lurking in China's fur farms; several new and high risk Laughter can have healing effects The research was presented at the 2024 European Respiratory Society Congress. They divided 51 children aged between 2 and 18 into two groups, who were hospitalised for pneumonia. During their stay, one of the groups included four 15-minute visits from a medical clown from the Dream Doctors Project. The clowns did various activities like singing, music, and guided meditation. It was found that the group visited by clowns remained in the hospital for 43.5 hours and needed 2 days of IV antibiotic treatment, on average. The second group who were not visited by the clown stayed for 70 hours on average and needed 3 days of IV antibiotics. Other parameters like heart rate and inflammation were also lower in the group visited by clowns. “While the practice of medical clowning is not a standardised interaction, we believe that it helps to alleviate stress and anxiety, improves psychological adjustment to the hospital environment and allows patients to better participate in treatment plans like adherence to oral antibiotics and fluids,” explains Yaacoby-Bianu. Also read | New Medical Research: A common food dye used to make skin and muscle temporarily transparent “Laughter and humour may also have direct physiological benefits by lowering respiratory and heart rates, reducing air trapping, modulating hormones, and enhancing the immune function.” Medical clowns may ease the stress Dr Stefan Unger, a paediatrician at the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People Edinburgh, UK, says that adding medical clowns to the care team "may reduce physical and emotional stress on children and their families." “It may also reduce costs and lift some of the burden on healthcare systems.” The researchers are now examining whether medical clowns have similar effects on other diseases. (With inputs from agencies)

Medical clowns can help reduce hospital stay for children: Study

Scientists in the UK have developed a tool that enables robots to display more realistic and accurate expressions of pain during the physical examination of painful areas.

The Imperial College London team has developed a new physical examination approach that could reduce doctors' errors and bias.

Research published in the journal Scientific Reports suggests that this could also teach trainee doctors how to use clues hidden in patients' facial expressions to minimise the force used in physical exams, while also detecting and correcting early signs of bias in medical students by exposing them to a wide variety of patient identities.

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"Improving the accuracy of facial expressions of pain on these robots is a key step in improving the quality of physical examination training for medical students," said Sibylle Rerolle, from Imperial's Dyson School of Design Engineering.

Undergraduate students participated in the study by performing a physical exam on a robotic patient's abdomen. In order to recreate pain-related facial expressions, data about forces applied to the abdomen were used to trigger changes in six different regions of the MorphFace robot face.

The method revealed the order in which different parts of a robotic face, known as facial activation units (AUs), must fire to accurately express pain. Additionally, the study determined the optimum speed and magnitude of AU activation.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/even-a-worm-can-make-decisions-says-a-study-461969" hreflang="en">Even a worm can make decisions, says a study</a>

Researchers discovered that the most realistic facial expressions were created by activating the upper face AUs (around the eyes) before activating the lower face AUs (around the mouth). The most natural results were obtained by allowing the Jaw Drop AU to take longer to activate.

It is crucial for doctors to consider patient facial expressions when performing physical examinations of painful areas.&nbsp;

Most medical training simulators, however, cannot show real-time facial expressions related to pain and only include a limited number of patient identities according to ethnicity and gender.

Based on studies demonstrating racial bias in the ability to recognize facial expressions of pain, the researchers state that these limitations may lead to biased practices on the part of medical students.

"Underlying biases could lead doctors to misinterpret the discomfort of patients - increasing the risk of mistreatment, negatively impacting doctor-patient trust, and even causing mortality, a said co-author Thilina Lalitharatne, from the Dyson School of Design Engineering.

"In the future, a robot-assisted approach could be used to train medical students to normalise their perceptions of pain expressed by patients of different ethnicity and gender."

(With inputs from agencies)

Scientists in the UK have developed a tool that enables robots to display more realistic and accurate expressions of pain during the physical examination of painful areas.

Scientists in the UK have developed a tool that enables robots to display more realistic and accurate expressions of pain during the physical examination of painful areas. The Imperial College London team has developed a new physical examination approach that could reduce doctors' errors and bias. Research published in the journal Scientific Reports suggests that this could also teach trainee doctors how to use clues hidden in patients' facial expressions to minimise the force used in physical exams, while also detecting and correcting early signs of bias in medical students by exposing them to a wide variety of patient identities. Also read | Scientists identify formation of three planetary systems around this binary star "Improving the accuracy of facial expressions of pain on these robots is a key step in improving the quality of physical examination training for medical students," said Sibylle Rerolle, from Imperial's Dyson School of Design Engineering. Undergraduate students participated in the study by performing a physical exam on a robotic patient's abdomen. In order to recreate pain-related facial expressions, data about forces applied to the abdomen were used to trigger changes in six different regions of the MorphFace robot face. The method revealed the order in which different parts of a robotic face, known as facial activation units (AUs), must fire to accurately express pain. Additionally, the study determined the optimum speed and magnitude of AU activation. Also read | Even a worm can make decisions, says a study Researchers discovered that the most realistic facial expressions were created by activating the upper face AUs (around the eyes) before activating the lower face AUs (around the mouth). The most natural results were obtained by allowing the Jaw Drop AU to take longer to activate. It is crucial for doctors to consider patient facial expressions when performing physical examinations of painful areas. Most medical training simulators, however, cannot show real-time facial expressions related to pain and only include a limited number of patient identities according to ethnicity and gender. Based on studies demonstrating racial bias in the ability to recognize facial expressions of pain, the researchers state that these limitations may lead to biased practices on the part of medical students. "Underlying biases could lead doctors to misinterpret the discomfort of patients - increasing the risk of mistreatment, negatively impacting doctor-patient trust, and even causing mortality, a said co-author Thilina Lalitharatne, from the Dyson School of Design Engineering. "In the future, a robot-assisted approach could be used to train medical students to normalise their perceptions of pain expressed by patients of different ethnicity and gender." (With inputs from agencies)

UK develops robots with realistic expressions that cut doctors' errors and bias

Two Americans and a Briton won the 2019&nbsp;Nobel&nbsp;Medicine&nbsp;Prize&nbsp;on Monday for discovering a molecular switch that regulates how cells adapt to fluctuating oxygen levels, opening up new approaches to treating heart failure, anaemia and cancer.

William Kaelin at the US&nbsp;Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School said he was overwhelmed to get a pre-dawn call to say he and two other doctors, Gregg Semenza of Johns Hopkins University and Peter Ratcliffe of Oxford University, had won the&nbsp;$913,000&nbsp;prize.

"I don't usually get phone calls at 5 am, but I knew this was 'Nobel&nbsp;Monday', so it was either going to be a poorly timed mobile call or extremely good news," he told Reuters by telephone. "My heart started racing. It was almost surreal."

Ratcliffe, who is also clinical research director at the Francis Crick Institute in London, said in a statement he was "honoured and delighted at the news".

The scientists' work established the basis for the understanding of how oxygen levels are sensed by cells - a discovery that is being explored by medical researchers seeking to develop treatments for various diseases that work by either activating or blocking the body's oxygen-sensing machinery.

Their work centres on the hypoxic response - the way the body reacts to oxygen flux - and "revealed the elegant mechanisms by which our cells sense oxygen levels and respond" said Andrew Murray, an expert at Britain's University of Cambridge who congratulated the three. 
 
'Vital ingredient'

"Oxygen is a vital ingredient for the survival of every cell in our bodies. Too little – or too much – can spell disaster.&nbsp;Understanding how evolution has equipped cells to detect and respond to fluctuating oxygen levels helps answer fundamental questions," said Venki Ramakrishnan, president of Britain's Royal Society scientific academy.

"As (this) work.. shows us, it also gives insights into the way these processes continue to shape our health and wellbeing."

Randall Johnson, a professor at Sweden's Karolinska Institute where the&nbsp;prize&nbsp;is awarded, said it was "a&nbsp;prize&nbsp;that really tells us the fundamental truth about how cells work".

During exercise, for example, the body uses oxygen at a rapid pace, "and this is a switch that helps the cell figure out how much oxygen it's getting and how it should behave."

"If you have a stroke there's suddenly no oxygen going to the brain... Those cells, if they are going to survive, need to find a way to adapt to that level of oxygen," he said.

Medicine&nbsp;is the first of the&nbsp;Nobel&nbsp;Prizes given each year. The&nbsp;prizes for achievements in science, peace and literature have been awarded since 1901 and were created in the will of dynamite inventor and businessman Alfred&nbsp;Nobel.

Nobel&nbsp;medicine&nbsp;laureates have included scientific greats such as Alexander Fleming, the discoverer of penicillin, and Karl Landsteiner, who identified separate blood types and so enabled safe transfusions to be widely introduced.

Thomas Perlmann, a member of the&nbsp;Nobel&nbsp;Assembly, said he had reached Kaelin by phone early on Monday to tell him on the award. "He was really happy, almost speechless," Perlmann said.

Last year American James Allison and Japanese Tasuku Honjo won the&nbsp;prize&nbsp;for discoveries about how to harness the immune system in cancer therapies.

Two Americans and a Briton won the 2019 Nobel Medicine Prize on Monday for discovering a molecular switch that regulates how cells adapt to fluctuating oxygen levels, opening up new approaches to treating heart failure, anaemia and cancer.

Two Americans and a Briton won the 2019 Nobel Medicine Prize on Monday for discovering a molecular switch that regulates how cells adapt to fluctuating oxygen levels, opening up new approaches to treating heart failure, anaemia and cancer. William Kaelin at the US Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School said he was overwhelmed to get a pre-dawn call to say he and two other doctors, Gregg Semenza of Johns Hopkins University and Peter Ratcliffe of Oxford University, had won the $913,000 prize. "I don't usually get phone calls at 5 am, but I knew this was 'Nobel Monday', so it was either going to be a poorly timed mobile call or extremely good news," he told Reuters by telephone. "My heart started racing. It was almost surreal." Ratcliffe, who is also clinical research director at the Francis Crick Institute in London, said in a statement he was "honoured and delighted at the news". The scientists' work established the basis for the understanding of how oxygen levels are sensed by cells - a discovery that is being explored by medical researchers seeking to develop treatments for various diseases that work by either activating or blocking the body's oxygen-sensing machinery. Their work centres on the hypoxic response - the way the body reacts to oxygen flux - and "revealed the elegant mechanisms by which our cells sense oxygen levels and respond" said Andrew Murray, an expert at Britain's University of Cambridge who congratulated the three. 'Vital ingredient' "Oxygen is a vital ingredient for the survival of every cell in our bodies. Too little – or too much – can spell disaster. Understanding how evolution has equipped cells to detect and respond to fluctuating oxygen levels helps answer fundamental questions," said Venki Ramakrishnan, president of Britain's Royal Society scientific academy. "As (this) work.. shows us, it also gives insights into the way these processes continue to shape our health and wellbeing." Randall Johnson, a professor at Sweden's Karolinska Institute where the prize is awarded, said it was "a prize that really tells us the fundamental truth about how cells work". During exercise, for example, the body uses oxygen at a rapid pace, "and this is a switch that helps the cell figure out how much oxygen it's getting and how it should behave." "If you have a stroke there's suddenly no oxygen going to the brain... Those cells, if they are going to survive, need to find a way to adapt to that level of oxygen," he said. Medicine is the first of the Nobel Prizes given each year. The prizes for achievements in science, peace and literature have been awarded since 1901 and were created in the will of dynamite inventor and businessman Alfred Nobel. Nobel medicine laureates have included scientific greats such as Alexander Fleming, the discoverer of penicillin, and Karl Landsteiner, who identified separate blood types and so enabled safe transfusions to be widely introduced. Thomas Perlmann, a member of the Nobel Assembly, said he had reached Kaelin by phone early on Monday to tell him on the award. "He was really happy, almost speechless," Perlmann said. Last year American James Allison and Japanese Tasuku Honjo won the prize for discoveries about how to harness the immune system in cancer therapies.

Nobel Medicine Prize won by doctors for work on cells' response to oxygen

This is the most unconventional and least painstaking way of passing kidney stones.&nbsp;

According to a new study published in the Journal of the American Osteopathic Association, a number of people have passed kidney stones while riding the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad rollercoaster in Disney World, Florida. The study says that the movement on the ride facilitates the stone&#39;s passage through the abdomen, without causing the rider any pain.

Kidney stones are masses of minerals that form rather easily in our bodies. Depending on the size of the stones, which could range from a tiny grain of sand to the size of a golf ball, it is not always necessary to get treated for them. Most times in case of the stones being small in size, they get flushed out of the body on their own. &nbsp;

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Big Thunder Mountain railroad roller coaster in Disneyland, Florida (Others)
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The report cites the case of a man who was able to pass a stone after three consecutive rides on the roller coaster. Following that, the researchers conducted a test by placing a 3D model of a kidney on the rollercoaster. In the experiment, they placed three real kidney stones and some urine in the model kidney. The kidney stones were of different sizes- small (4.5 cubic mm), medium (13.5 cubic mm) and large (64.6 cubic mm). The model kidney was taken on the ride 20 times.&nbsp;

The results indicated that what&rsquo;s crucial is the placement of the stones in the kidney. The researchers experimented with the position of the different sizes of stones in different parts of the model. During one ride, the largest stone was placed in the upper part of the kidney; during another, the large stone was placed in the middle of the kidney. For a comprehensive assessment, each stone was placed in each location of the kidney for at least one ride.

Moreover, the report found that the seat placement of the rider, something that cannot be predetermined, also played a crucial role. Researchers found that when the model kidney was placed in the rear-end of the car, there was a higher chance, almost 64% probability, for the stone to come out of the body. This was regardless of the size or location of the stone. However when the model was placed in the front area of the roller coaster, the stone flushed out only 17% of the time.&nbsp;

The report also suggests that riding the moderate-intensity roller coaster could prove more effective after a person has undergone treatments like lithotripsy- which breaks up kidney stones into smaller particles.

(Contributed by: Zeba Khan)

Researchers have found that riding the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad rollercoaster at Disney World can help you pass kidney stones

This is the most unconventional and least painstaking way of passing kidney stones. According to a new study published in the Journal of the American Osteopathic Association, a number of people have passed kidney stones while riding the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad rollercoaster in Disney World, Florida. The study says that the movement on the ride facilitates the stone's passage through the abdomen, without causing the rider any pain. Kidney stones are masses of minerals that form rather easily in our bodies. Depending on the size of the stones, which could range from a tiny grain of sand to the size of a golf ball, it is not always necessary to get treated for them. Most times in case of the stones being small in size, they get flushed out of the body on their own. Big Thunder Mountain railroad roller coaster in Disneyland, Florida (Others) × The report cites the case of a man who was able to pass a stone after three consecutive rides on the roller coaster. Following that, the researchers conducted a test by placing a 3D model of a kidney on the rollercoaster. In the experiment, they placed three real kidney stones and some urine in the model kidney. The kidney stones were of different sizes- small (4.5 cubic mm), medium (13.5 cubic mm) and large (64.6 cubic mm). The model kidney was taken on the ride 20 times. The results indicated that what’s crucial is the placement of the stones in the kidney. The researchers experimented with the position of the different sizes of stones in different parts of the model. During one ride, the largest stone was placed in the upper part of the kidney; during another, the large stone was placed in the middle of the kidney. For a comprehensive assessment, each stone was placed in each location of the kidney for at least one ride. Moreover, the report found that the seat placement of the rider, something that cannot be predetermined, also played a crucial role. Researchers found that when the model kidney was placed in the rear-end of the car, there was a higher chance, almost 64% probability, for the stone to come out of the body. This was regardless of the size or location of the stone. However when the model was placed in the front area of the roller coaster, the stone flushed out only 17% of the time. The report also suggests that riding the moderate-intensity roller coaster could prove more effective after a person has undergone treatments like lithotripsy- which breaks up kidney stones into smaller particles. (Contributed by: Zeba Khan)

Get on this roller coaster to get rid of kidney stones!

At $100,000 a head, the puppies frolicking around the fenced lawn in western Seoul don&#39;t come cheap but at least their owners know exactly what they are getting. 
 
The lawn belongs to the Sooam Biotech Research Foundation, a world leader in pet cloning that has run a thriving commercial business over the past decade catering to dog owners who want to live with their pets forever literally. 
 
With a client list including princes, celebrities and billionaires, the foundation offers owners protection against loss and grief with a cloning service that promises the perfect replacement for a beloved pet. 
 
Since 2006, the facility has cloned nearly 800 dogs, commissioned by owners or state agencies seeking to replicate their best sniffer and rescue dogs. 
 
&quot;These people have very a strong bond with their pets and cloning provides a psychological alternative to the traditional method of just letting the pet go and keeping their memory,&quot; said Wang Jae-Woong, a researcher and spokesman for Sooam. 
 
&quot;With cloning, you have a chance to bring back the pets,&quot; he said in the facility&#39;s &quot;care room&quot; where each cloned puppy is kept in a glass-fronted, temperature-controlled pen and monitored by researchers around the clock. 
 
Ever since the milestone birth of Dolly the sheep in 1996, the rights and wrongs of cloning have been a topic of heated debate and Sooam Biotech has been regarded with particular suspicion because of its founder, Hwang Woo-Suk. 
 
In two articles published in the journal Science in 2004 and 2005, Hwang claimed to have derived stem-cell lines from cloned human embryos, a world first. 
 
Fraudulent hero 
 
He was lauded as a national hero in South Korea before it emerged that his research was fraudulent and riddled with ethical lapses. 
 
Hwang was given a two-year suspended prison sentence in 2009, after being convicted of embezzlement and bioethical violations. 
 
Sooam Biotech clones many animals, including cattle and pigs for medical research and breed preservation, but is best known for its commercial dog service. 
 
The process involves harvesting a mature cell from the dog to be copied and transferring its DNA to a donor egg cell that has had its own genetic material removed. 
 
The cell and the egg are &quot;fused&quot; with an electrical jolt, and the resulting embryo is implanted in a surrogate mother dog, which will give birth about two months later. 
 
Despite the $100,000 price tag, requests for the service have poured in from around the world, Wang said, around half from North America. 
 
Some have sought clones of other pets like cats, snakes and even chinchillas, but Wang said the demand for such animals was too small to justify the cost. 
 
Walls around the five-storey Sooam Biotech centre are adorned with dozens of photos of cloned dogs and their smiling owners, tagged with their national flags including the US, Mexico, Dubai, Russia, Japan, China and Germany. 
 
&quot;(The clients) understand that a clone is an identical twin of the original pet, but also has a lot of genetic predispositions and the potential to develop as the original pet,&quot; Wang said. 
 
9/11 canine hero 
 
One well publicised cloning was of Trakr, a former police dog hailed as a hero after discovering the last survivor of the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center. 
 
Sooam produced five clones after Trakr&#39;s owner won a contest for the world&#39;s most &quot;clone-worthy&quot; dog. 
 
High profile clients have included Princess Shaikha Latifah of Dubai who cloned her pet dog in 2015 and helped launch a joint research study into cloning camel breeds known for high milk production. 
 
For the most part, the foundation&#39;s clients and financial supporters of Hwang Woo-Suk&#39;s research prefer to remain anonymous. 
 
&quot;Few of our backers - even the most loyal ones - want to voice their support publicly,&quot; said Sooam Biotech&#39;s general manager Kim Hoon, who acknowledged that the scandal involving the facility&#39;s founder had tainted its image. 
 
&quot;I think the only way to win the public&#39;s trust back is by making more genuine scientific breakthroughs,&quot; he said. 
 
The centre does not conduct any human stem cell research after being repeatedly denied a state approval to do so. 
 
But it is pushing a number of ambitious projects, most notably an effort to clone an extinct mammoth. 
 
Since 2012, Hwang&#39;s team has attempted to cultivate living cells from the frozen remains of mammoths in Siberia. 
 
Disease &#39;models&#39; 
 
For medical research purposes, Sooam Biotech also produces genetically-engineered animals, or &quot;disease models&quot; that are predisposed to Alzheimer&#39;s, diabetes or certain cancers. 
 
During a visit to the clinic by AFP, Hwang himself was leading a procedure to inject the embryo of a Beagle into a surrogate mother dog&#39;s womb. 
 
&quot;This dog, once born, has a possibility to become a disease model for human brain tumours,&quot; Hwang said. 
 
Sooam is also involved in a joint venture with Chinese biotechnology firm Boyalife to set up what will be the world&#39;s largest animal cloning factory in the northeastern Chinese port city of Tianjin. 
 
But head researcher Jeong Yeon-Woo said the dog cloning remained his favourite service because of the reaction of owners when they see the puppies. 
 
&quot;They look like they found a child that had been missing,&quot; Jeong said. 
 
&quot;The moment of pure joy like that makes me realise again why I&#39;m doing this.&quot; 
 
(AFP)

Since 2006, the facility has cloned nearly 800 dogs, commissioned by owners or state agencies seeking to replicate their best sniffer dogs

At $100,000 a head, the puppies frolicking around the fenced lawn in western Seoul don't come cheap but at least their owners know exactly what they are getting. The lawn belongs to the Sooam Biotech Research Foundation, a world leader in pet cloning that has run a thriving commercial business over the past decade catering to dog owners who want to live with their pets forever literally. With a client list including princes, celebrities and billionaires, the foundation offers owners protection against loss and grief with a cloning service that promises the perfect replacement for a beloved pet. Since 2006, the facility has cloned nearly 800 dogs, commissioned by owners or state agencies seeking to replicate their best sniffer and rescue dogs. "These people have very a strong bond with their pets and cloning provides a psychological alternative to the traditional method of just letting the pet go and keeping their memory," said Wang Jae-Woong, a researcher and spokesman for Sooam. "With cloning, you have a chance to bring back the pets," he said in the facility's "care room" where each cloned puppy is kept in a glass-fronted, temperature-controlled pen and monitored by researchers around the clock. Ever since the milestone birth of Dolly the sheep in 1996, the rights and wrongs of cloning have been a topic of heated debate and Sooam Biotech has been regarded with particular suspicion because of its founder, Hwang Woo-Suk. In two articles published in the journal Science in 2004 and 2005, Hwang claimed to have derived stem-cell lines from cloned human embryos, a world first. Fraudulent hero He was lauded as a national hero in South Korea before it emerged that his research was fraudulent and riddled with ethical lapses. Hwang was given a two-year suspended prison sentence in 2009, after being convicted of embezzlement and bioethical violations. Sooam Biotech clones many animals, including cattle and pigs for medical research and breed preservation, but is best known for its commercial dog service. The process involves harvesting a mature cell from the dog to be copied and transferring its DNA to a donor egg cell that has had its own genetic material removed. The cell and the egg are "fused" with an electrical jolt, and the resulting embryo is implanted in a surrogate mother dog, which will give birth about two months later. Despite the $100,000 price tag, requests for the service have poured in from around the world, Wang said, around half from North America. Some have sought clones of other pets like cats, snakes and even chinchillas, but Wang said the demand for such animals was too small to justify the cost. Walls around the five-storey Sooam Biotech centre are adorned with dozens of photos of cloned dogs and their smiling owners, tagged with their national flags including the US, Mexico, Dubai, Russia, Japan, China and Germany. "(The clients) understand that a clone is an identical twin of the original pet, but also has a lot of genetic predispositions and the potential to develop as the original pet," Wang said. 9/11 canine hero One well publicised cloning was of Trakr, a former police dog hailed as a hero after discovering the last survivor of the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center. Sooam produced five clones after Trakr's owner won a contest for the world's most "clone-worthy" dog. High profile clients have included Princess Shaikha Latifah of Dubai who cloned her pet dog in 2015 and helped launch a joint research study into cloning camel breeds known for high milk production. For the most part, the foundation's clients and financial supporters of Hwang Woo-Suk's research prefer to remain anonymous. "Few of our backers - even the most loyal ones - want to voice their support publicly," said Sooam Biotech's general manager Kim Hoon, who acknowledged that the scandal involving the facility's founder had tainted its image. "I think the only way to win the public's trust back is by making more genuine scientific breakthroughs," he said. The centre does not conduct any human stem cell research after being repeatedly denied a state approval to do so. But it is pushing a number of ambitious projects, most notably an effort to clone an extinct mammoth. Since 2012, Hwang's team has attempted to cultivate living cells from the frozen remains of mammoths in Siberia. Disease 'models' For medical research purposes, Sooam Biotech also produces genetically-engineered animals, or "disease models" that are predisposed to Alzheimer's, diabetes or certain cancers. During a visit to the clinic by AFP, Hwang himself was leading a procedure to inject the embryo of a Beagle into a surrogate mother dog's womb. "This dog, once born, has a possibility to become a disease model for human brain tumours," Hwang said. Sooam is also involved in a joint venture with Chinese biotechnology firm Boyalife to set up what will be the world's largest animal cloning factory in the northeastern Chinese port city of Tianjin. But head researcher Jeong Yeon-Woo said the dog cloning remained his favourite service because of the reaction of owners when they see the puppies. "They look like they found a child that had been missing," Jeong said. "The moment of pure joy like that makes me realise again why I'm doing this." (AFP)

Want your precious pet to live forever? South Korea's dog cloning clinic makes it possible

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