Scientists at the Institute of Neuroscience, Chinese Academy of Sciences in Shanghai recently created five clones from a single gene-edited macaque monkey.

The project represents a significant departure from previous research involving animal clones, which typically involved flies or mice. Scientists contend that cloned monkeys will be better test subjects for research on human diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and depression. The announcement comes a few months after other Chinese researchers produced the world’s first gene-edited human babies in a highly controversial experiment.

Click here to read more about the study detailing the monkey-cloning project.

Click here to read more about the ongoing controversy surrounding gene-edited babies in China.