The Mayo Clinic in Minnesota implanted genes from the jellyfish Aequorea victoria into the eggs from which the kittens grew, which, helpfully, allows them to produce Green Fluorescent Protein, allowing them to glow under certain light frequencies.
But it's another gene inserted into the kittens that is promising a step towards a cure for AIDS. The antiviral gene, coming from a monkey, produces a protein called TRIMCyp. This protein can make blood cells that fight infections and resist the viruses that cause AIDS, according to Dr Laurence Tiley of the University of Cambridge.
"One of the best things about this biomedical research is that it is aimed at benefiting both human and feline health. If you could show that you confer protection to these animals, it would give us a lot of information about protecting humans."
So far, they've only tested it on cells extracted from the cats, not the cats themselves, which is apparently their next step. And they made the kittens glow so that their cells would be more visible. At least that's their story.
via The Guardian
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