Dolly the sheep - the first mammal cloned from an adult cell - did not develop early arthritis or age prematurely, a study has found.
Experts at the University of Nottingham and University of Glasgow in the UK found that original concerns that cloning caused early-onset osteoarthritis (OA) in Dolly are unfounded.
The findings, published in the journal Scientific Reports, show that the skeletons, stored in the collections of National Museums Scotland in Edinburgh, bear radiographic OA similar to that observed in naturally conceived sheep and healthy aged clones.
"Our findings of last year appeared to be at odds with original concerns surrounding the nature and extent of osteoarthritis in Dolly - who was perceived to have aged prematurely," said Kevin Sinclair, Professor at the University of Nottingham.
"Yet no formal, comprehensive assessment of osteoarthritis in Dolly was ever undertaken. We therefore felt it necessary to set the record straight," said Sinclair.
The four Nottingham 'Dollies' - Debbie, Denise, Dianna and Daisy - were derived from the cell line that gave rise to Dolly.
They originated from studies undertaken by Professor Keith Campbell between 2005 and 2007 which sought to improve the efficiency of somatic-cell nuclear transfer (SCNT).
They concluded that the Nottingham Dollies had aged normally with no clinical signs of OA.
They had radiographic evidence of only mild or, in one case, moderate OA.
Their results, published last year in the journal Nature Communications, were in apparent stark contrast to Dolly the Sheep's diagnosis of early onset OA which led to scientific concern and media debate over the possibility of early-onset- age-related diseases in cloned animals.
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