Italian researchers who created the world’s first cloned horse have now created 14 cloned piglets that are aimed at improving xenotransplantation?the transplant of organs from pigs to humans.

The research was led by Cesare Galli of the Laboratory of Reproductive Technology in Cremona, where the pigs were born several weeks ago.

According to a BBC News report, the experiment was part of a European Union project to study stem cells in cloned animals.

The report notes that researchers are interested in pigs because they are close to humans in terms of anatomy and physiology.

BBC via BetterHumans