Dolly the sheep continues to inspire research 20 years after she was revealed to the world, scientists have said.

Treatments for degenerative conditions like Parkinson's disease are still influenced by the creation of Dolly, the world's first successfully cloned mammal.

The sheep was born at the Roslin Institute in Edinburgh in July 1996 but announced to the world on February 22, 1997. Her creation has been fundamental to stem cell research and "opened up previously unimaginable possibilities" in biology and medicine, scientists said.

Dolly - who suffered from arthritis and a virus-induced lung disease - died on February 14, 2003.

She is thought to have aged prematurely due to being cloned from a sheep that was already six years old.

Tilo Kunath, chancellor's fellow at the University of Edinburgh's MRC Centre for Regenerative Medicine, said: "Dolly really changed our view of biology, showing us that we could take adult cells and reverse them in time.

"Reprogramming cells in this way is something that I use to search for treatments for degenerative conditions like Parkinson's disease.

"Dolly's influence on scientists around the world will continue to impact on cell and tissue repair research for many years to come."