27 January 2005

Scientists have begun blurring the line between human and animal by producing chimeras…

…a hybrid creature that's part human, part animal
Chinese scientists at the Shanghai Second Medical University in 2003 successfully fused human cells with rabbit eggs. The embryos were reportedly the first human-animal chimeras successfully created. They were allowed to develop for several days in a laboratory dish before the scientists destroyed the embryos to harvest their stem cells.

In Minnesota last year researchers at the Mayo Clinic created pigs with human blood flowing through their bodies.

And at Stanford University in California an experiment might be done later this year to create mice with human brains.

Man playing God again.

Comments

I have mixed feelings about this topic. On the one hand, I think it is a very scary line to cross. On the other hand, having a diabetic son, who may benefit greatly from stem cells, including extending his mortality, I have an interest in the research possibilities
This sort of thing makes one wonder what a civilization elsewhere out in the universe, say maybe, just 500 years ahead of us, could be capable of. Kinda makes ya wonder how did things actually start here on earth......scary thought.

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