Scientists debate blending of human, animal forms

Of mice, men and in-between
Scientists debate blending of human, animal forms
By Rick Weiss - The Washington Post

In Minnesota, pigs are being born with human blood in their veins.

In Nevada, there are sheep whose livers and hearts are largely human.

In California, mice peer from their cages with human brain cells firing inside their skulls.

These are not outcasts from "The Island of Dr. Moreau," the 1896 novel by H.G. Wells in which a rogue doctor develops creatures that are part animal and part human. They are real creations of real scientists, stretching the boundaries of stem cell research.

Biologists call these hybrid animals chimeras, after the mythical Greek creature with a lion's head, a goat's body and a serpent's tail. They are the products of experiments in which human stem cells were added to developing animal fetuses. Source - MSNBC

/\$t0|\|i$Hi|\|G - I can hardly believe it. I have heard nothing of this before. Is this even legal? I think this is a bad idea. I know we put animal parts in humans, but would we ever create a human with pig blood or put mice brain cells or any other animal's brain cells in our own. I wonder if we could put dolphin or whale cells in us and be able to have 'human sonar'?

right at this point in time it is theoraticley impossible to blend animal and humans cells well what we know off why has it just poped up now?

Originally posted by lepracornman
right at this point in time it is theoraticley impossible to blend animal and humans cells well what we know off why has it just poped up now?

Not sure what you mean by this, but I would have to say that this statement is overwhelmingly false. What do you mean by 'blend animal and human cells?' We certainly can construct chimeric cells. This is the basis of monoclonal antibody production. Given the correct set of cell marker genes, it is entirely possible to grow 'human' cells in host organisms. While I've not read this specific reference, it says that they've done this allegedly impossible task. So... please clarify the 'theoraticley [sic] impossible' nature of said activity.

OOPS:
Certainly this kind of research is legal, if it weren't it wouldn't be performed at most major universities throughout the US. This type of research is far from illegal, but is considered cutting edge.

Originally posted by 00PS

Of mice, men and in-between
Scientists debate blending of human, animal forms
By Rick Weiss - The Washington Post

In Minnesota, pigs are being born with human blood in their veins.

In Nevada, there are sheep whose livers and hearts are largely human.

In California, mice peer from their cages with human brain cells firing inside their skulls.

These are not outcasts from "The Island of Dr. Moreau," the 1896 novel by H.G. Wells in which a rogue doctor develops creatures that are part animal and part human. They are real creations of real scientists, stretching the boundaries of stem cell research.

Biologists call these hybrid animals chimeras, after the mythical Greek creature with a lion's head, a goat's body and a serpent's tail. They are the products of experiments in which human stem cells were added to developing animal fetuses. Source - MSNBC

/\$t0|\|i$Hi|\|G - I can hardly believe it. I have heard nothing of this before. Is this even legal? I think this is a bad idea.

Why is it a bad idea? If a person needs a heart transplant, why shouldnt' they be able to get one this way? Or any other sort of medical benfit

I wonder if we could put dolphin or whale cells in us and be able to have 'human sonar'?

I don't think anyone would want the massive reconstruction involved to have that ability, which would only work in water anyway. Besides, thats a seperate issue, trying to 'improve' on otherwise healthy humans.

The modern day equivelant to Island of Dr. Moureu?