Professor Lee at College of Veterinary Medicine has successfully cloned four canines that can sniff out human cancer cells. It was less than three years after that Lee's team had cloned the world's first dog in 2005

The research team, led by professor Byeong-chun Lee, in April implanted into a surrogate mother cloned fetuses from a black retriever named Marine, a widely-recognized cancer-sniffing dog trained in Japan.

``The four black retrievers were born on May 28,`` Lee said. They were named as Marine-R, Marine-N, Marine-L and Marine-S.

Marine, who is six and half years old, is unable to reproduce because her womb was removed from disease.

Four retrievers will be sent to Japan after three months to join the training program for cancer detection.

Researchers worldwide have been investigating whether dogs have the ability to detect breast, prostate, lung and skin cancer at a treatable stage.

Experts say cancer cells give off a scent that is not present in healthy cells, which can be detected by dogs in breath or urine samples.

Before the latest breakthrough, the team recreated seven drug-sniffing dogs last year at the request of the Korea Customs Service.

Prior to this, Lee cloned the world's first commercial dog ordered by a California woman, who wanted her dead pitbull terrier cloned.

Lee's team created the world's first cloned dog, an Afghan hound named Snuppy, who was cloned in 2005.

June 24, 2008
SNU PR Office