Iran’s first successfully cloned sheep was born on September 30, 2006, from an adult cell in a test tube. Nine years since that historic day, the country is making rapid progress in the field of stem-cell technology. The first cloned sheep was born in Royan research institute in Isfahan, and was named Royana after the name of its birthplace. One of the meanings of Royan in Persian is embryo, according to Mehr News Agency. The beautiful male brown lamb, which was Iran’s second attempt at cloning (the first died a few hours after birth) was a result of Royan Institute, established by late founder Dr. Saeid Kazemi Ashtiani. Royana lived for three years in a healthy condition among a flock of some 400 normal sheep at a grazing site outside Isfahan. After 145 days and surviving the postnatal complications typical for cloned animals, Royana was born by caesarean section and hailed as a breakthrough in Iran’s scientific achievements, especially in the field of producing recombinant drugs.
