Generation of transgenic livestock by somatic cell nuclear transfer

The ability to produce transgenic animals through the introduction of exogenous DNA has existed for many years. However, past methods available to generate transgenic animals, such as pronuclear microinjection or the use of embryonic stem cells, have either been inefficient or not available in all animals. More recently, somatic cell nuclear transfer has provided a method to create transgenic animals that overcomes many limitations of other methods. This review summarizes the major advantages and disadvantages of currently available techniques to produce genetically modified livestock with special emphasis on the benefits of using somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) to create genetically modified livestock for agriculture and biomedical applications. Potential applications of transgenesis by SCNT in farm animals are discussed.