Scientists create part-human animals

MrBrian

Stem cell experiments leading to genetic mixing of species

Updated: 5:43 p.m. ET April 29, 2005
RENO, Nev. - On a farm about six miles outside this gambling town, Jason Chamberlain looks over a flock of about 50 smelly sheep, many of them possessing partially human livers, hearts, brains and other organs

Biological mixing of species
But the biological co-mingling of animal and human is now evolving into even more exotic and unsettling mixes of species, evoking the Greek myth of the monstrous chimera, which was part lion, part goat and part serpent.

In the past two years, scientists have created pigs with human blood, fused rabbit eggs with human DNA and injected human stem cells to make paralyzed mice walk.

Particularly worrisome to some scientists are the nightmare scenarios that could arise from the mixing of brain cells: What if a human mind somehow got trapped inside a sheep’s head?

The “idea that human neuronal cells might participate in 'higher order' brain functions in a nonhuman animal, however unlikely that may be, raises concerns that need to be considered,” the academies report warned.

Mice with human brains
In January, an informal ethics committee at Stanford University endorsed a proposal to create mice with brains nearly completely made of human brain cells. Stem cell scientist Irving Weissman said his experiment could provide unparalleled insight into how the human brain develops and how degenerative brain diseases like Parkinson’s progress.

Stanford law professor Hank Greely, who chaired the ethics committee, said the board was satisfied that the size and shape of the mouse brain would prevent the human cells from creating any traits of humanity. Just in case, Greely said, the committee recommended closely monitoring the mice’s behavior and immediately killing any that display human-like behavior.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7681252

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baraka

:eek:

I wonder what would be considered 'human-like' behavior?

Jeanie

This article is two years old. What is the current situation with this?

MrBrian

Jeanie wrote:

This article is two years old. What is the current situation with this?

http://www.redorbit.com/news/health/880680/now_scientists_create_a_sheepthats_15_human/index.html?source=r_health

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=444436

good question. I think america has them in the army ready to invade iran. hehe
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I can't find any updates on it.

soulsinging

MrBrian wrote:

Just in case, Greely said, the committee recommended closely monitoring the mice’s behavior and immediately killing any that display human-like behavior.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7681252

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hehe, doesnt that seem like the opposite of what they should do?

anyone see the island of dr moreau?!

MrBrian

soulsinging wrote:

hehe, doesnt that seem like the opposite of what they should do?

anyone see the island of dr moreau?!

H. G. Wells, the books better

soulsinging

MrBrian wrote:

H. G. Wells, the books better

ah, i couldnt remember the author and didnt wanna make myself look stupid i actually never read the book or saw the movie, hehe.

farfromglorified

This is the dawn of a very creepy age ladies and gentleman. May the ethical questions not be ignored.

gue_barium

farfromglorified wrote:

This is the dawn of a very creepy age ladies and gentleman. May the ethical questions not be ignored.

I dunno, bunny rabbit baraka sounds pretty good to me.

onelongsong

i've been warned by locals that snakes are interbreeding and once non-poisonous snakes are now poisonous. i haven't seen this personally but it's something to think about.

Jeanie

I think you'll find that any animal testing, particularly involving cloning or stem cell research, is bound by a strict code of ethics.

gue_barium

Jeanie wrote:

I think you'll find that any animal testing, particularly involving cloning or stem cell research, is bound by a strict code of ethics.

Tell that to David Icke.

baraka

I have always found Chimeras very interesting, at least the ones that occur naturally.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chimera_%28genetics%29

Jeanie

gue_barium wrote:

Tell that to David Icke.

Who is David Icke gue?

Pearl Jam and toast

farfromglorified wrote:

This is the dawn of a very creepy age ladies and gentleman. May the ethical questions not be ignored.

and may they not impede progress as well. We're about to become capable of some really amazing things if we don't let fear stop us and if we don't destroy ourselves in the process.

chopitdown

Pearl Jam and toast wrote:

and may they not impede progress as well. We're about to become capable of some really amazing things if we don't let fear stop us and if we don't destroy ourselves in the process.

just b/c we can do something doesn't nec mean we should.

chopitdown

Jeanie wrote:

I think you'll find that any animal testing, particularly involving cloning or stem cell research, is bound by a strict code of ethics.

yep, as long as the research is being done by respectable people at respectable places.

Jeanie

chopitdown wrote:

yep, as long as the research is being done by respectable people at respectable places.

I agree. But in terms of medical research, each research laboratory you see doing the research they are doing is subject to mounds of ethical and moral consideration by huge commitees of ethicists and doctors and other people, as well as being subject to having to conform to a code of practice, and be subject to audit and review. This includes laboratories doing medical testing on animals. And even the welfare of the animals in under a code of practice. Those that are not subject to all of these peer checks and guidelines are not true researchers or laboratories and therefore would be subject to being closed down and prosecuted to the full extent of the law.

Vedderlution_Baby

Fuck. I really want a talking dog.

Jeanie

I'd really like a cure for Parkinson's, diabetes, Multiple Sclerosis, Altzheimer's and Motor Neurone Disease. And a plethora of other debilitating and fatal diseases.

Vedderlution_Baby

Jeanie wrote:

I'd really like a cure for Parkinson's, diabetes, Multiple Sclerosis, Altzheimer's and Motor Neurone Disease. And a plethora of other debilitating and fatal diseases.

Hopefully, while they're making my awesome talking saint bernard, they'll have research for these side projects in the works.