Monday, January 30, 2017

Human-Pig Hybrid Chimera Study





Scientists have created more than 2,000 human-pig hybrids in the hopes of using the information gained to one day grow human organs inside of animals for transplants. The hybrid embryos were allowed to develop to 28 days before being removed. This short time frame allowed scientists to see how the human and pig cells mix together.The study has come under fire as ethical concerns from the US National Institutes of Health had put a temporary  ban on funding for this controversial experiment last year.  One ethical concern brought about during the ban was that hybrid creatures could theoretically have humanized brains,  and what that could mean if they were accidentally released into the wild. Although i understand the ethical dilemma faced with chimera research I feel as though there is many advantages that this research could bring that cannot be ignored. Not only is this study bringing us closer to understanding how different cells can interact it also allows us to learn the information that can one day lead us able to grow human organs ready for transplant.








https://www.theguardian.com/science/2017/jan/26/first-human-pig-chimera-created-in-milestone-study
http://www.counselheal.com/articles/31719/20170130/human-pig-chimera-embryo-development-grow-donor-organs.htm


1 comment:

  1. I can understand why these "human-pigs"cause such a controversy. If they're so closely related to us humans, it makes more sense why studies say pigs have such a high IQ. What concerns me is that if they produced these hybrid pigs with "humanized brains"...they feel pain, love, and have emotions. How can we mass produce these beings and terminate them as we please? Dare I say its like mass producing human embryos for organs use only purposes...think about it.

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