Chinanews, Beijing, May 31 – Six cloned Göttingen mini pigs were born in a Tianjin pig farm last week. The six Göttingen mini pigs were jointly produced by the China Agricultural University and the Tianjin Academy of Agricultural Sciences. Of the six cloned Göttingen mini pigs, two remained in a healthy condition, one survived for 12 hours and one died immediately after birth. In addition, two Landrace pigs, which carried green fluorescent protein gene, also died, the Science Times reported.The cloned Göttingen mini pigs are regarded as the best type for carrying out medical experiments. At present, such pigs are widely used by scientists to carry out medical experiments or test the effects of new drugs related with the treatment of major human diseases, including diabetes, heart attack, high blood pressure and Parkinson’s disease. The American Food and Drug Administration and other global authoritative medical management institutions have approved the use of Göttingen mini pigs for medical use. Furthermore, since the organs of Göttingen mini pigs are very similar to those of human beings, the international medical community regards their organs as the most ideal source for scientists to carry out organ transplantation among different species, said Li Ning, a professor from the China Agricultural University.Back in 1998, the Ministry of Agriculture had planned to introduce some Göttingen mini pigs from other countries. However, a decade has passed, and yet the United States and European countries have continued to forbid the export of such pigs. The successful cloning of the Göttingen mini pigs in China will help solve the problem of resource shortage for such pigs. If these cloned pigs can survive, China might be able to produce a new type of Göttingen mini pigs that will be recognized in the world. In future, such pigs might also help China to conduct organ transplantation among different species and help China in carrying out more test experiments for new drugs, Li noted.