Chimeras: Animal-Human Hybrids

The word Chimera comes from ancient Greek mythology. A chimera was a combination of goat, lion and snake. Its was a combination of different creatures. Chimeras aren't really new creatures such as sheep and goats have already been combined to make a (Geep) by Scottish scientists.

Now human genes have been used to create a Chimera

On the Caribbean Island of St. Kitts, these surgeons are implanting several million human neural stem cells into the brain of an African green monkey. When the human cells mature they function as living partners with the billions of monkey brain cells that are already there.

Dr. Eugene Redmond hopes the implanted cells in monkeys like this one, which come from federally approved lines of stem cells cultured in U.S. laboratories, will eventually help supply a chemical called dopamine. That chemical is missing from the brains of people who have Parkinson's disease, which afflicts up to a million Americans.

A nobel goal but it does raise a host of ethical questions. Infact some scientists are concerned that if enough human cells are integrated into the brains of animals, humanlike consciousness might develop. The scary part is that most people don't realize just how far this technology has come. There's really no technical obstacle to making something that is midway or part way between different species now.

www.pbs.org...

Chimeras are also known as people who have more than one blood type? Or is this something else?

Well, if you are a US biologist you'd better finish up your research and move to another country because the US Senate is looking into banning human chimeras.

www.congress.gov...:S.659:

A Biologist Stuart Newman applied for a patent on a human-animal chimera U.S. patent application No. 08/993,564. It was denied as a "immoral invention" The commissioner didnt even go through the traditional 18-month review period.

Stuart Newman claimed he only did this in hopes of drawing public attention to what he saw as the dangers of such research.

www.gene.ch...

But what is really stopping any scientist that wanted to do this type of thing from simply moving to a country where no such ban exist. I can think of a hand full of countries that would allow you to do anything if the price is right no questions asked.

I really hope a total ban does not happen.

What happens when I want to get some Gecko genes spliced into my genome to enable me to scale skyscrapers That type of Chimerism better be legal or it's a violation of my rights IMO. I know not in law, but I wish there were protections for Biological Liberties both to not be judged by your Biological makeup and to change it as you see fit.

I have a similiar outlook on Cognitive Liberty if I want to inject some Dolphin brain cells into my own head to think more like a dolphin or as a vain attempt to make verbal contact it should be my own choice.

These Bio-Luddites have hidden agenda's. They know full well the technologies that are coming down the line and for once want to have legislation on their side before the technology becomes impossible to stop in their own country(they would lose allot of power in such a society) this Technopobic attidute could have serious reprecussions Socially, Politically and Geo-politically. The balance of power will shift to those countries with more laisse-faire(sp?) laws(or attitudes) towards these types of technologies.

Sorry for the rant but these people are becoming rather transparent. We should embrase this technology before another country takes the lead perhaps irretrievably.

[edit on 16-10-2005 by sardion2000]

Thanks for a very different opinion on the subject sardion2000 I didnt really think about it that way but you make some good points.I wouldnt mind say some genes that would make me stronger and faster or give me eye sight like a eagle. Would that be immoral? Perhaps in some people minds but not mind.

Might be worth a trip to a tropical country to get something like that done, But they better let my genetically enhanced butt back in the states after.

Originally posted by sardion2000
I really hope a total ban does not happen.

Agreed. Research is goooood!

I have a similiar outlook on Cognitive Liberty if I want to inject some Dolphin brain cells into my own head to think more like a dolphin or as a vain attempt to make verbal contact it should be my own choice.

Having the genes doesnt make you capable of speaking dolphin as such. You might have the ability to pronounce sounds as them, but you wouldnt understand their language, and most of what you would say would be gibberish to them. Exactly as if you meet a perosn from another country! You can make the same sounds, but you dont understand crap of what they are saying!

These Bio-Luddites have hidden agenda's. They know full well the technologies that are coming down the line and for once want to have legislation on their side before the technology becomes impossible to stop in their own country(they would lose allot of power in such a society) this Technopobic attidute could have serious reprecussions Socially, Politically and Geo-politically. The balance of power will shift to those countries with more laisse-faire(sp?) laws(or attitudes) towards these types of technologies.

I agree on this subject. And in 50 years I actually expect India and especially China to have taken over the US' 1st place in genetic research and enginering capabilities.

I just loved the movie comedy:Animal

Originally posted by Thain Esh Kelch
Having the genes doesnt make you capable of speaking dolphin as such. You might have the ability to pronounce sounds as them, but you wouldnt understand their language, and most of what you would say would be gibberish to them. Exactly as if you meet a perosn from another country! You can make the same sounds, but you dont understand crap of what they are saying!

For the record those were just wild examples I pulled from my behind The actual mods I would want would be something to increase my reflexes and eyesight however it may be accomplished.

Very interesting stuff. Thanks shadowXIX.

Sardion - as usual, I see your point, but resist. Will need to think about it. Great link on anarcho-transhumanism tho.

the government should not be determining what is moral....this country is run by religion tho so what can ya do?

[edit on 16-10-2005 by grimreaper797]

sofi here is a semi-related link having to do with the drug war and the "side affects" it likely will have on geo-politics(It's a Foreign Policy article)

www.foreignpolicy.com...

If it doesn't get developed by the private sector due to overbroad bans it will get developed by the black market which will have absolutely no transparency whatsoever.

[edit on 16-10-2005 by sardion2000]

Interesting coverage - thanks. ...But I don't think there's any transparency now. Those with the big bucks pursue their passions, and buy cell therapy or other cures - those without cash don't even know there's a huge black market medical industry, or organ harvesting farms, or embryo harvesting farms, or $100,000 a day clinics...

Will think about it more - but are you saying that if things are legal, they can be regulated? Whereas if they're illegal - we just won't know about it at all? ...IMO - the very rich are in a class by themselves, and not subject to the laws that govern us common folk. And there always will be a black market to serve their needs. Whatever those needs might be.

...Or are we back to Open Source?


.

Well the Black Market seems like it's in a position to embrase that methodology so why not us? There has even been analysis of certain terrorist networks that have embrased the methodologies of OS but closed access to "trusted" operatives. The black market would most likely work in such a way as to limit exposure to "mainstream society"(and prosecution).

Open Source biotechnology is growing but it's growing slowly as the initial setup-cost's are quite high(but they are coming down, best time to buy such equipment is during a type of High corporate failure rate(like in 2000-2003 I forget the exact number but it was the highest in history I believe due to the sheer size of the deflation and crash) you could get 50,000 doller routers for a few thousand bucks

[slightly offtopic]
How is this for transparency?



Click Image for full article

EDIT: My ultimate point is if we embrase this technology it will become ubiquitous and demand will dictate supply. This is a potential endless revenue generator for those companies who offer it to all at resonable prices, and I'm sure some companies know this very well. They want what happened to the IT industry in the 90s to happen to them and they may very well get what they are hoping for in the next decade.(Creating another bubble but that's another topic alltogether)

BTW Open Source Biology( Free as in "libre" ) I predict a beleugered giant with suprisingly few profitable patents left to stand on will embrase this methodology and in the process such an act would revolutionize the entire Biotech sector.

EDIT2: I also wanted to say that Air Travel wouldn't be where it is today if it weren't for the Rich risking their lives for a thrill(many of them Died as well) so I really don't have much of a problem of the Rich working out all the kinks Just as long as it isn't horded forever I'm fine with it to a certain point. I'm aware of the USA's action in this regard, it is temporary as I sense a general shift going on down there.

Another intersting link I just stumbled across, have not had time to check it out yet.

www.cambia.org...

[edit on 17-10-2005 by sardion2000]

[edit on 17-10-2005 by sardion2000]

Very interesting Shadow

Just keep that away from Ferrets, smart ferrets is not something you would like

Wouldn't it be freaky if animals would get human like inteligence?

I just realized, the world is being taken over by chimeras of a humanly nature. Just look at Bush. He looks just like one of those fuzzy little things.

Political cracks really seem to drag down conversations like this. I really get tired of reading about Bush's shortcomings in nearly every thread.

Best just to ignore it.

Here is a very interesting article on the budding political issues surrounding technologies like this.

www.betterhumans.com...

'Pravda', after all, means 'truth' so here goes.

Since i am no biologist ( or whatever i would need to be to call myself well informed in this area) i wonder wether all these historica references, in this article and elsewhere, can be taken to mean genetic manipulation in human history or just 'crossbreading' as the article indicates.

Anyways!

Stellar

Despite the "rich people driving new technology" as mentioned earlier, I can't see a biotech industry evolving over someone who wants a tail, etceteras.

I have a feeling that when this kind of thing is discussed in Senate someone is going to get out a DVD of "The Island of Dr. Moreau" (which was a documentary, and filmed in real-time.)

Excellent find Shadow

I hate how they are banning us from cloning and even this. Its blocking our advancement in technology. What if this accidentely creates the cure for bird flu? Or Cancer? Hell, we could make monkeys as intelligent as us who could explore places no human or machine can without harming themself. We could make birds so intelligent that they can do recon against terrorists. Whales that could help us explore the last remaining 'unknown' on the planet: The Oceans...