The most radical experiment, still not conducted, would be to inject human stem cells into an animal embryo and then transfer that chimeric embryo into an animal's womb. Scientists suspect the proliferating human cells would spread throughout the animal embryo as it matured into a fetus and integrate themselves into every organ.

Such "humanized" animals could have countless uses. They would almost certainly provide better ways to test a new drug's efficacy and toxicity, for example, than the ordinary mice typically used today.

But few scientists are eager to do that experiment. The risk, they say, is that some human cells will find their way to the developing testes or ovaries, where they might grow into human sperm and eggs. If two such chimeras -- say, mice -- were to mate, a human embryo might form, trapped in a mouse.

Not everyone agrees that this would be a terrible result.

"What would be so dreadful?" asked Ann McLaren, a renowned developmental biologist at the University of Cambridge in England. After all, she said, no human embryo could develop successfully in a mouse womb. It would simply die, she told the academy. No harm done.

But others disagree -- if only out of fear of a public backlash.

Originally posted by ShadowXIX
If he wants to slice in some Tiger Genes someday in the future he should be able too.

Originally posted by Xibalba
I am totaly for genetic engineering. But would we be able to splice into our own genes a sequence or whatever to begin developing the desired effect? Or would this have to be something done at the very begining stages of growth?

Originally posted by ludaChris
I guess I cant say that if I had the choice to be genetically engineered to be whatever I want I wouldnt turn it down. I mean if it were possible, think of how many Michael Jordans, Wayne Gretzkeys, David Beckhams and other great athletes there woudl be.

Originally posted by ShadowXIX

I assume it would be possible someday to do something like this with Gene therapy using perhaps Somatic cell gene therapy which works on adult cells and does not pass the alteration to future generations. In theory as long as that genes that encodes for the trait you want to alter is known somatic cell gene therapy can be used to alter it.

Originally posted by ludaChris
kinda freaky if you ask me. I'm totally against creating half human, half animal beings. I mean thats just cruel. I wonder if the being would have the ability to speak and think like humans, and if it would have feelings. This just doesnt seem right at all.

Originally posted by Ralph_The_Wonder_Llama
From what I have read, Human-Animal hybridization is not actually to create a Human with Animal features. It is just a way to grow human organs in animals.

Originally posted by Ralph_The_Wonder_LlamaWhat if this were realized? The cost of organ transplants would plummet! People could get the life-saving operations they needed. There would be the cost of the "labor," but the cost for "parts" would go down (sorry to use car mechanic terms).

Originally posted by Ralph_The_Wonder_LlamaAs far as making a humanoid animal kinda creature... no way. Two billion years of SLOW evolution has made every living creature how it is today, and everything works fine. It has been proven that large changes in genetic structure end in catastrophe.

Originally posted by frayed1

Like Ralph, I recall reading something about the idea behind this 'splicing' was to create donor organs that would be more compatible with humans and less likely to be rejected by a patient's body.

Originally posted by frayed1
( In the past, I believe baboon hearts have been used at least as temporary transplants when human hearts were unavailable. And sometimes blood vessels from pigs are used for replacements.)

Originally posted by frayed1
I haven't a link to this, but I recall reading that when attempts were made to mix the human DNA with pigs, in order to reduce that risk of transplant rejection, the pigs that resulted were stricken with human ailments....they developed terrible arthritis as they began to age.

Originally posted by Ralph_The_Wonder_Llama
But what if it didn't? What if we made a pig-man or pig-woman, and they were just like us except they looked all piggy? How would society treat them? We already treat obese people like crap because of how they look. Pig-people would have it worse.

Originally posted by ShadowXIX
Tell that to the body mod crowd they dont give a crap what people think of them. You think this guy or the other I posted care what people think? They have the choice to alter thier body in anyway they want.

Originally posted by ShadowXIX
If someone like this wants to alter their genes in the future who has the right to say they shouldnt be able too.

Originally posted by ShadowXIX
Theres many people that really dont care what society thinks of them and dont want to conform.

Originally posted by think2much
I hear you on the unfair to animal side...one that no longer lived by it's natural instincts...but had been engineered and now had new thought processes not necessary for it's survival...and then a body that prevented it from following those thought processes...and unable to articulate them, vocalize them, share them with others...to me...that would create insanity.

So we'd have some crazy chimeras running about...

could be scarey...I think I feel a new book or screen play brewing in my mind...



[edit on 7-2-2006 by think2much]

Originally posted by 2manyquestions
Yeah.... and it is called "The Island of Dr. Moreau"