So two universities have won approval to create to human-animal embryos for medical research, my old uni KCL is one of them. Do you agree? I'm not really sure what I think just yet, but it sounds a little creepy to me. http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2007/may/17/genetics.health1
I agree wholeheartedly with the use of human-animal embryos. Creepiness should be no barrier to the progress of science where the quality and length of millions of lives is at stake....
Indeed - using animal embryos kinda rips out the pro-lifers argument about murder. Unless they're also members of PETA.
When I said millions of lives were at stake, I was referring to the lives of patients with diseases and disorders for which stem cell research could provide breakthrough cures. I wasn't talking about human embryos in cold storage. I'm wholly in favour of their use as well....
Me too - just that the use of animal embryos defuses the arguments of radical right-wing Christian pro-life fascist bigots (phew that was a mouthful). Now with any luck bombing of stem-cell research labs will reduce.
Well no creepiness won't be a barrier, but it can still be creepy. I have a friend with MS and she is looking at going abroad for stem cell treatment, seeing how she is at the moment, it would be awful for me to try and tell her that is was wrong. But how far will it go, science does do some pretty crazy things and just because it is in the name of science doesn't mean that it is right in my opinion.
Yeah I guess it does kind of defuse their arguement, but I'm sure radical right-wing Christians will now find something else to protest about!
No, not all things in the name of science are morally right, but in this case I think it is not ambiguous. Do you save and improve existing lives by using embryos that will never, even if not used, become living humans, or do you let the embryos go to waste and allow living people to continue suffering? There's no contest for me....
Whats the big deal ? Hybrid human-mouse cells are already being used to produce monoclonal antibodies and to map human chromosomes. And if hybrid embryos can help in the further development of medicine, so be it.
Yeah, but its not like they are gonna let the embryo develop. They will probably use it on a molecular level. I think its great and there shouldnt be any boundaries when it comes to science, especially medicine. And I am not saying that only cause I am a med student.
my uncle recently (past few months) underwent stem cell treatment for cancer. it was really rough for him going through it, and he still hasn't gotten his strength/energy back fully, but they are hoping that it will have cleared all of it for good, as he'd been in remission a few times now, and done all the other treatments but had still developed new lumps. supposedly in a few more months he should be right as rain. i think stem cell research could change the way diseases affect all of us. however, in reading the article it did freak me out a bit when they talked, at the end, about a woman being impregnated by an animal-human embryo. That's the bit that would seem troubling in my mind. As obviously science doesn't know how the foetus would develop and how everything would go years from now, including if there were a human with cow DNA, then what happens when they have kids, would there be recessive DNA from the cow that would pop up into later generations.
They wont let them develop their destroying them after so many weeks, pity I for one would be interested in seeing what a hybrid of Cat and Human could do, would it be able to leap small buildings in a single bound, don't tell the military they'd start to get ideas! Stealthy soldiers with perfect night-vision and retractable blades! Hybrid pet's, now you too can own and sleep with one! Would it out sell an inflatable sheep? LMAO A woman with six breasts and claws, sounds kinky and to think keeping her happy is a sinch, just open a tin of fish! :lol: Bad enough with one child to look after, could you imagine a litter of 6. "HEY, GET DOWN FROM THERE, HOW MENY TIMES HAS DADDY TOLD YOU, YOU DONT SHRED THE FURNITURE AND YOU DONT CLIMB ON THE ROOF OF THE HOUSE!":lol:
This article raises several very interesting issue's such as, would such a being be entitled to human rights... I think that yes they should but thats just my view, although the word human would have to be rephrased, ask yourself what does a cat ever get sick of, the answer bugger all except cat flu, which is like aids to a cat. But one jab and thats taken care of, also it raises the question of how the government would cope with such a thing happening, their welfare system would crumble into the dust, so many mouths to feed. They would have to introduce a law whereby you where only allowed to have so many kids. The way things are going the planet dying etc, genetic modification doesn't sound that bad, we're already top of the food chain. Screw it! Why not do it! I wouldnt worry about cloning I would worry more about things like THIS Unless intellident life makes it down here in the next couple of years from outer space, lets face it, we're screwed! Fossil fuel wont last forever, niether will tree's and unless we start working on the solution now in 20 or 30 years time, your car wont even be leaving your driveway how'd you like those apple's? Humanity is like a disease, we consume every natural resource and then we move on, like a virus. "Human kind is a Disease and We are the cure!" - agent smith - the matrix Of course everyone goes "hey we have nuclear fuel, what are you worried about?" my answer "I'm worried our children will grow up with no ozone, exposed to solar radiation and by products from a nuclear dump!" And the answer may offend so look away, but the truth of it is it's you and your car, you are the ones poisoning the planet with your complete disregard for its health corperate america... Buy and Sell, the terms big buisness live by and it's killing the planet along with everyone on it! But hey bro, smoke another spliff its only carcinogens don't worry about it, don't let me bring you down! Even if we take action now we are far too late, the government set itself targets under the kyoto accord, to reduce pollution and then they ignored it completely, so when we all feel the hot rays of the sun, its our own fault. China is a good 3rd of the worlds leading pollution right about now, and what does our prime minister do, he goes over their and kisses their arse!
Its not possible to let them develop. You see, as hybrids grow, they start to lose human chromosomes. And they can eventually lose all human chromosomes. That is if we grow hybrids in conditions that allow growth of both human and animal cells. And if we lose all human chromosomes, then theres no point in making hybrid cells... So in order to save human chromosomes we keep hybrid cells in a special medium which lacks an enzyme necessary for the development of animal cells. Human chromosomes have genes that produce code for that enzyme, so they survive. If scientists have come up with some new discoveries that I am not aware of, please do inform me.
