Monday, July 25, 2011
Academy of Medical Science on human-animal chimera prospects
"Experiments that were of concern to both the public and the scientific
community focus on research studies involving modification of the animal
brain that could potentially lead to human-like ‘cerebral’ function,
experiments which might lead to fertilisation of human eggs or sperm in
an animal; and modification of an animal to create characteristics
perceived as uniquely human, such as facial shape, skin texture, or
speech."
community focus on research studies involving modification of the animal
brain that could potentially lead to human-like ‘cerebral’ function,
experiments which might lead to fertilisation of human eggs or sperm in
an animal; and modification of an animal to create characteristics
perceived as uniquely human, such as facial shape, skin texture, or
speech."
Why the technology will develop:
"Some examples of ACHM include:
- · Mice carrying human genes are widely used to study many diseases, including neurological and anxiety disorders, osteoporosis, heart disease and cancer.
- · Goats which have a human gene incorporated in their genome are used to produce a human protein (an anti-thrombin) which is used to treat blood clotting disorders.
- · Mice implanted with sections of human tumour are used in cancer research to study how cancers develop and spread, and to test new drugs and therapies.
- · Introducing human stem cells into rats can provide an opportunity to study the human brain’s potential for repairing the damage caused by stroke.
- · Mice which have their immune systems or livers reconstituted with human cells are used to study diseases such as HIV or hepatitis."
Why we need to think the bioethics and regulation sooner, not later
(from Financial Times summary, since very pithy):
"US scientists have also created mice in which one-quarter of the brain cells are human neurons, and they have discussed – but not gone ahead with – making a mouse in which all neurons are derived from human stem cells.
“If you replaced an entire mouse brain with human neurons, it would almost certainly still be a mouse, though with some interesting changes,” Prof Bobrow said. “But for something with a bigger and more complex brain, such as a primate, it is hard to guess what the result would be.”
Another controversial move would be to make animals sound like humans. A gene associated with human language has been transferred to mice. “These animals vocalise slightly differently from ordinary mice – but they don’t speak,” said Robin Lovell-Badge, head of stem cell biology at the National Institute for Medical Research.
“If you come home and your pet parrot says, ‘Who’s a pretty boy then?’, that’s one thing,” added Christopher Shaw, neurology professor at King’s College London. “If your pet monkey says it, that’s another.”
The academy recommends that the Home Office, which regulates animal experiments in the UK, establish a national expert body to provide specific advice on sensitive types of research involving humanised animals...."
