150 human animal hybrids grown in UK labs

[shann0]

Lab Created Abominations All In The Name Of Science.

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2017818/Embryos-involving-genes-animals-mixed-humans-produced-secretively-past-years.html

150 human animal hybrids grown in UK labs: Embryos have been produced secretively for the past three years
By Daniel Martin and Simon Caldwell

Last updated at 12:42 AM on 23rd July 2011

Scientists have created more than 150 human-animal hybrid embryos in British laboratories.

The hybrids have been produced secretively over the past three years by researchers looking into possible cures for a wide range of diseases.

The revelation comes just a day after a committee of scientists warned of a nightmare ‘Planet of the Apes’ scenario in which work on human-animal creations goes too far.

Undercover: Scientists have been growing human animal hybrids in secret for the last three years (Posed by models)
Last night a campaigner against the excesses of medical research said he was disgusted that scientists were ‘dabbling in the grotesque’.

Figures seen by the Daily Mail show that 155 ‘admixed’ embryos, containing both human and animal genetic material, have been created since the introduction of the 2008 Human Fertilisation Embryology Act.

This legalised the creation of a variety of hybrids, including an animal egg fertilised by a human sperm; ‘cybrids’, in which a human nucleus is implanted into an animal cell; and ‘chimeras’, in which human cells are mixed with animal embryos.

Scientists say the techniques can be used to develop embryonic stem cells which can be used to treat a range of incurable illnesses.
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THIRTY embryos created for every baby born by IVF... and thousands are thrown away
Beware 'Planet of the Apes' experiments that could create sci-fi nightmare

Three labs in the UK – at King’s College London, Newcastle University and Warwick University – were granted licences to carry out the research after the Act came into force.

All have now stopped creating hybrid embryos due to a lack of funding, but scientists believe that there will be more such work in the future.

The figure was revealed to crossbench peer Lord Alton following a Parliamentary question.
Research centre: Warwick University has been growing animal human hybrids over the last three years
Last night he said: ‘I argued in Parliament against the creation of human- animal hybrids as a matter of principle. None of the scientists who appeared before us could give us any justification in terms of treatment.

‘Ethically it can never be justifiable – it discredits us as a country. It is dabbling in the grotesque.

‘At every stage the justification from scientists has been: if only you allow us to do this, we will find cures for every illness known to mankind. This is emotional blackmail.

‘Of the 80 treatments and cures which have come about from stem cells, all have come from adult stem cells – not embryonic ones.
‘On moral and ethical grounds this fails; and on scientific and medical ones too.’

Josephine Quintavalle, of pro-life group Comment on Reproductive Ethics, said: ‘I am aghast that this is going on and we didn’t know anything about it.

‘Why have they kept this a secret? If they are proud of what they are doing, why do we need to ask Parliamentary questions for this to come to light?

‘The problem with many scientists is that they want to do things because they want to experiment. That is not a good enough rationale.’

Test centre: Newcastle University was another site where human animal hybrid testing was being undertaken
Earlier this week, a group of leading scientists warned about ‘Planet of the Apes’ experiments. They called for new rules to prevent lab animals being given human attributes, for example by injecting human stem cells into the brains of primates.

But the lead author of their report, Professor Robin Lovell-Badge, from the Medical Research Council’ s National Institute for Medical Research, said the scientists were not concerned about human-animal hybrid embryos because by law these have to be destroyed within 14 days.

He said: ‘The reason for doing these experiments is to understand more about early human development and come up with ways of curing serious diseases, and as a scientist I feel there is a moral imperative to pursue this research.

‘As long as we have sufficient controls – as we do in this country – we should be proud of the research.’

However, he called for stricter controls on another type of embryo research, in which animal embryos are implanted with a small amount of human genetic material.

Human-animal hybrids are also created in other countries, many of which have little or no regulation


Read more: www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2017818/Embryos-involving-genes-animals-mixed-humans-produced-secretively-past-years.html#ixzz1StwMuBFQ

[baydoll]

Disgusting!

[PrisonerOfHope]

I would assume that because God had no part in the creation of these beasts they have no souls. The implications are frightening.

[shann0]

I think so too.

[PrisonerOfHope]

They could well be indwelt by demonic spirits.

Is that what the beasts in Revelation are? I can't imagine God's precious animals doing evil things....

[shann0]

Wasn't there a movie about this? I Am Legend, perhaps? As I recall, that didn't end well.

www.ibtimes.com/articles/189614/20110730/human-animal-hybrid-parahuman-chimera-monster-mermaid-gene-dna-mythology-achm-aids-cloning-superhuma.htm

Human-animal Hybrid: Creepy Para-humans or a Technique to Genetically Improve Humans?

Human-animal hybrids have existed only in our imagination fueled by vivid mythological creatures, most popular being the mermaids and the centaurs. So when scientists showed an active interest in mixing human and animal genes, mainly to mass produce vital hormones like insulin, and drugs and organs suitable for organ transplantations, it was interpreted widely as an attempt to create monsters which could be half-human-half-animal. Thus the term Para-human became popular as an informal reference to "human-animal hybrids" and many started speculating creation of monsters.



(Photo: Wikipedia)
A chimeric mouse with its offspring


Broadly speaking, human-animal hybrid experiments are aimed to better understand the function of human body by eliminating the restraints currently experienced by scientists. For instance, if mice could be created with human immune system, it could go a long way in the study of AIDS and in creating effective treatment.

Human-animal hybrid also serves as an alternative for cloning and stem cell research, both with several legal restrictions.

Transhumanism, a movement which advocates the need to develop better humans (or posthumans) by means of eliminating aging and enhancing human's intellectual, physical, and psychological capacities, strongly support the ongoing researches to create human-animal hybrids.


The Academy of Medical Sciences which published a report in July, examining the use of "animals containing human material" (ACHM) in researches, explains the need to create human-animal hybrid which they term as ACHM.

According to the researchers, human-animal hybrids help "understand human bodily functions and human disease where cell or computer-based alternatives alone will not suffice, and it is morally or practically impossible to do the necessary studies in living people."

ACHMs also help "determine the role of a specific piece of human DNA, our genetic material, by seeing what effect it has in a living animal" and "to test and develop methods of diagnosis, drugs and other treatments for human disease."

The ACHM research synopsis says animals can be genetically altered by "adding to it the human genes that you wish to study or by changing its genes so that they are the same as those in man."

Researchers also provide an alternative by which "you can create chimeras: animals formed either by mixing human and embryonic cells, or by implanting human material into an animal" by means of stem cells.

Answering ethical and regulatory questions:

The synopsis concentrates on three ethical and regulatory difficulties faced by Human-animal hybrid research.

The paper denies "likely" cross fertilization of humans and animals by means of fusing human eggs or sperms with animals' reproductive mechanism.

"Human reproductive tissues can be implanted in various places (such as under the skin) in the recipient animal rather than into its own reproductive system, so there is little possibility of fertilization." Nevertheless, if in case an "inadvertent" cross fertilization occurs, "it is very unlikely that the event would result in a viable embryo."

Researchers admits the possibility of "human appearance or behavioral traits" in ACHMs and express their concern about "blurring of these (physical looks and behavior) boundaries" and calls for national expert advice in proceeding with any ACHM research involving creation of what is being popularly called as "human-animal hybrid monsters."

They also answer the issue of introducing human memory to primates. If there is any uncertainty over "possible changes to an animal's brain function following a procedure, the work should proceed cautiously and incrementally, and should be subject to additional oversight by a national body of experts."

[shann0]

www.csmonitor.com/Commentary/the-monitors-view/2011/0728/Ethical-frontiers-of-humanizing-animals-in-the-lab

The Monitor's View


Ethical frontiers of humanizing animals in the lab


Mice with human-language DNA? Goats with human-like organs? They already exist. A British report raises anew the dilemma of creating animals with human characteristics for the sake of medical science.

The report’s title was enough of a jolt to grab anyone’s attention: “Animals containing human material.”

Unfortunately, the July 22 report from Britain’s Academy of Medical Sciences received far too little public attention for what the title really means: the humanizing of animals in lab experiments.

Before the academy’s report gathers dust on scholars’ shelves, it’s worth keeping a spotlight on this latest contribution to an ongoing debate over what it means to be human – a topic not to be left to scientists or government.

Rapid advances in research are allowing more cases of animals being given human characteristics. Mice have been injected with the human DNA for language, for example – and they squeak differently. Goats implanted with human stem cells have blood and organs similar in DNA to humans. Several scientists have proposed implanting apes with human brain cells – one of the more troubling frontiers.

Mixing up species through cell, gene, or embryo transfers has long been the stuff of science fiction – think of the novel “The Island of Dr. Moreau” by H.G. Wells. In real life, today’s research is aimed at creating animals with enough humanlike parts to test new drugs or medical therapies – so humans don’t need to be test subjects.

While that purpose is laudable, transhumanism raises ethical and religious dilemmas that go far beyond those for cloning, gene therapy, genetically altered food, and other recent bioscience advances.

Imagine, for example, if a human uterus is transplanted into an animal, allowing the birth of a child. It’s not implausible.

The United States tried to sort out the ethical boundaries for such research nearly a decade ago. The result was a set of federal voluntary guidelines, such as not injecting apes with human brain cells.

The British report goes further in recommending clear legal boundaries, international standards, and strong oversight for the most ethically challenged research – the type called “human lineage specific” – such as brain-cell transfers to apes or the creation of embryos that are “predominantly animal” but contain human cells.

The report reflects a healthy humility about potential consequences. “Current scientific knowledge often does not permit precise prediction of the effects that modification of an animal’s organs might produce,” the report states.

Creating a creature that is partially human, for instance, could result in it likely not being accepted by either humans or its own species. Lacking a social group for support, it could suffer a cruel future.

Equally challenging is the presumed threat to common assumptions about human dignity, or inherent qualities such as self-consciousness, a capacity to recognize the mental states of others, or a sense of “fairness.” The report leaves open the idea that consciousness is not physical but perhaps something beyond the sum of material parts.

Qualities of thought are shared among all species, with humans tending to have more or higher levels of qualities. The fact that humans even debate the ethics of creating humanized animals helps set them apart.

As science further blurs the boundaries of the human-animal divide, the public needs to join this debate. The essence of being human is, after all, a constant striving to express higher qualities, especially in thinking.

[baydoll]

Jul 24, 2011 13:59:45 GMT -5 PrisonerOfHope said:

They could well be indwelt by demonic spirits.

Is that what the beasts in Revelation are? I can't imagine God's precious animals doing evil things....

Holy Cow! You might be onto something there!

[shann0]

This is just sick, sick, sick! These poor animals have no choice as to whether or not they are mutants, and then on top of that they are created solely for the purpose of lab experimentation. What a horrible existance they must live. Then on top of that there is the added injustice of being exploited for commercial gain.

news.discovery.com/animals/beagle-dog-glows-green-110801.html


Scientists have created a genetically modified female beagle that glows fluorescent green when under ultraviolet light.
The process to create the beagle, "Tegon," allows the glow to be turned on and off by command.
Researchers hope such animals will help scientists track the course of disease via fluorescence.





"Tegan" is a puppy genetically engineered to glow green under ultraviolet light.
Seoul National University Hospital for Animals

A genetically modified female beagle named Tegon glows bright fluorescent green under ultraviolet light, according to a paper published in the journal Genesis.

In the scientific record books, Tegon joins a red fluorescent puppy named Ruppy and Mr. Green Genes the cat as all being human-modified animals that can glow.

ByeongChun Lee, a co-author of the Genesis paper, told Discovery News, "The entire body of the dog glows. One can witness a slightly yellower change in the color of the dog's skin, but to the naked eye, fluorescence cannot be seen without the presence of UV light and goggles."

Lee is director of the Seoul National University Hospital for Animals in Korea and a professor in the Department of Theriogenology and Biotechnology.

He and his colleagues achieved the feat using a five-step process. The scientists first inserted a DNA fragment that controls the expression of a green fluorescent gene into dog cells. They next extracted DNA from a dog oocyte (an immature female reproductive cell prior to fertilization) and injected the fluorescent-modified dog cells into it.

The third step was to use a process known as Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer to generate an embryo. The resulting embryo was then transferred into a surrogate dog mother. After 60 days of pregnancy, she gave birth to Tegon. When given a doxycycline antibiotic, the female beagle literally glows under UV light.

Medical research teams such as Lee's are creating these animals in hopes of improving studies to benefit humans. Lee's process improves upon the earlier work, since it permits better control over the animal's glow.

Dogs are targeted for specific reasons.

"The dog has 268 genetic type diseases that are similar to those of humans," Lee explained. "Also, the dog has physiological and anatomical similarities with humans. These reasons make them a good model for human disease."

Lee said the genes injected to make the dog glow could be substituted with genes that trigger fatal diseases. He and his team would then be able to chart the course of Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and more, better understanding how such diseases develop.

Dogs also make good candidates for this kind of research because they have "good communication skills with humans, which enable them to have good response skills to direct orders. They are also easy to handle." He added, "Compared to mice and other smaller animals, dogs provide a much larger sample collection."

PHOTOS: Squid, Glowing Bacteria Work Well Together

He said that dogs are not harmed in any way by the fluorescence-adding process.

Chemyong Jay Ko, an associate professor in the College of Health Sciences at the University of Kentucky, told Discovery News that dogs "have long been used as one of the prime animal models in the field of medical research."

He explained that they are used to test new drugs for their effectiveness, toxicology and dosage before the medications are administered to humans.

The American Anti-Vivisection Society and other animal rights groups have been critical of efforts to create genetically modified dogs, cats, and other animals. Researchers around the world, however, have been involved in such projects.

In the United States, the Louisiana Board of Regents has funded the Louisiana Gene Therapy Research Consortium, associated with the team that created Mr. Green Genes the glowing cat.

Ko agrees with Lee that, for at least some applications, genetically modified dogs and cats work better than mice.

Also, don't be surprised if glowing dogs and cats become a new pet trend in future.

As Ko said, the "technology could be used for producing a variety of unique cats and dogs, possibly creating a new area of commercial interest."

[baydoll]

These people sure do like messing with God, don't they.