Mice are being grown with human brain cells in their brains.
Pigs are being raised that have human blood. Sheep with
human hearts and livers have been created in a Nevada
laboratory. These creatures are called chimeras,
human-animal hybrids.
In Europe, China and Japan, even more complex chimeras are
being created in laboratories that are racing to use these
strange beings to create radical new treatments that are
expected to revolutionize medicine.
Chimeras make it possible for scientists to study organs as
they function, rather than in artificial laboratory
settings, and represent a tremendous medical advance.
However, there are at present no ethical rules governing the
creation of chimeras, and the National Science Foundation is
developing rules now, which it expects to propose in February.
Scientists disagree about these rules. For example, if the
only way to save a human embryo is to implant it into an
animal's womb, is that ethical, or should it even be legally
required if it is the only way to save a baby? And how many
human brain cells should be allowed to be implanted in an
animal brain. What if a mouse ends up with a brain made of
all human cells? Would this be unethical or not?
Scientists agree that it is now possible to confer a level
of humanity on animals by implanting them with human brain
cells. For example, it will soon be possible to increase
animal intelligence through the use of human brain cells.
Such animals might have uses presently undreamed of. But
would it be ethical?
Even if the US decides that such activies are not ethical,
they will be carried out in countries with different values.
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