Japan experts to OK animal-human embryos test

[Still Waters]

Proposed experiments with animal-human embryos cleared the first regulatory hurdle Tuesday, reports said, as Japanese scientists seek permission for tests that could see human organs produced inside the growing body of an animal.

http://phys.org/news...ic-embryos.html

[EtherialNight]

Something rather unsavoury about this..

[shrooma]

Something rather unsavoury about this..

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a child dying of liver faliure probably wouldn't think so.....

[Sundew]

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a child dying of liver faliure probably wouldn't think so.....

You have a good point, however I hope the day comes when we can "grow" organs from the donor cells of the individual patient, where rejection will not be a problem and where we will not get into some of the ethical issues this could raise. For example, I suppose it's possible we could introduce new animal diseases into humans this way. But this may be a stopgap in the meantime and could save human lives.

[shrooma]

I hope the day comes when we can "grow" organs from the donor cells of the individual patient, where rejection will not be a problem and where we will not get into some of the ethical issues this could raise.

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so do I sundew.

the only ethical objections so far are of the 'scientists playing god' type, which is why a lot of stem cell research on humans is banned outright, but believe me, if it were THEIR children dying from something that could be cured by grown organs, the protesters would be the first ones kicking down the lab doors to get some!

when children are dying, NOT researching the best way to save them is unethical in my eyes.

it's unethical in the eyes of everyone WITH eyes!

save the dying, and let the naysayers be damned.....

[Theater of Dreams]

While this is now extremely controversial, it will benefit many people on their deathbeds, and hopefully will be a procedure that won't stay around too long. With the rate science and technology advances, who knows of what methods we could come up with next?

[Zaphod222]

I think this is a great approach. Besides being the perfect meat providers, pigs are also the perfect environment to grow human body parts. Pigs are mankind best helper. The perfect animal.

[Frank Merton]

I wonder if those whose religion prohibits pork would be able to accept a transplant from a pig. The immediate reaction is bound to be a knee-jerk rejection, but if you think about it, it really is two very different things.

I cringe when someone refers to scientists "playing God." That is an impossibility and conveys a serious ignorance of science.

[Zaphod222]

I think it would be a wonderful reality test for those stupid religious superstitions. If religionists believe that some ancient god wants them to die, rather than make use of modern medicine... fine, let them! However, any attempt by them to make this decision for their children should not be tolerated. Not in the enlightened modern world.

[danielost]

They have tried this before. No matter what they did the pig rejected the human organ.

[danielost]

I think it would be a wonderful reality test for those stupid religious superstitions. If religionists believe that some ancient god wants them to die, rather than make use of modern medicine... fine, let them! However, any attempt by them to make this decision for their children should not be tolerated. Not in the enlightened modern world.

So you want to hold a gun to somebodies head and force them to do what you think is right. Hello future tyrant.

[danielost]

I think god is guiding the hands of the scientests.

[Zaphod222]

So you want to hold a gun to somebodies head and force them to do what you think is right. Hello future tyrant.

I don´t know what you mean. Who wants to force anybody to think anything? (Well, some religionists do, but that is a different topic.)

What are you prattling about?

[danielost]

I think it would be a wonderful reality test for those stupid religious superstitions. If religionists believe that some ancient god wants them to die, rather than make use of modern medicine... fine, let them! However, any attempt by them to make this decision for their children should not be tolerated. Not in the enlightened modern world.

You said that the children of parents who don't like the organs grown in pigs, should not make said choice for the kids. In otherwards transplant organs over parentel wishes.

[shrooma]

I think god is guiding the hands of the scientests.

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if only other believers thought that way too daniel.....

[shrooma]

You said that the children of parents who don't like the organs grown in pigs, should not make said choice for the kids. In otherwards transplant organs over parentel wishes.

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then the choice should be given to the child in question, it is after all, their life.

'hi kid, wanna die?'

'no sir.'

'cool. have this kidney.'

not difficult really.....

[Sundew]

I think god is guiding the hands of the scientests.

Hopefully granting them wisdom as well as knowledge.

I wonder if those whose religion prohibits pork would be able to accept a transplant from a pig.

Well, we already use the heart valves from pigs in open heart surgery. How do these religions deal with that if it's a matter of life or death?

[shrooma]

Well, we already use the heart valves from pigs in open heart surgery. How do these religions deal with that if it's a matter of life or death?

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very poorly I should imagine sundew.

there's a thread on here about a jehova's witness couple who let not one, but TWO of their children die after refusing medical treatment for them.

it seems that some religions have a long way to go before they catch up with reason & sanity.....

[Sundew]

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if only other believers thought that way too daniel.....

Well, as a believer who loves both God and science I can only say that modern technology is not free from ethical concerns. When my father lay dying, his brain apparently dead and in and advanced age, my sister and I were put in the difficult decision as to disconnect life support or not. Fortunately that decision was taken out of our hands when he passed away in the night.

For example, when we use the lines of approved embryos for research, we are in effect, killing potential human beings. We destroy one life to potentially save others. Whether we use a dozen such lines or a million it is still the same ethical question, and I am not arguing for or against here; only stating that it has moral and ethical concerns that should be considered.

Science as it advances will continue to put us in these dilemmas: Do you clone an extinct animal if you have no habitat for it and it will only exist in a zoo? Do you use genetically modified foods to feed the starving masses while at the same time creating monocultures that may become susceptible to a disease, causing a repeat of something like the Irish Potato Famine and thus starvation on a global scale? And do you replace most wild or heirloom food stocks with GMO organisms because you think they are "better"? Do you clone a human being to act as an organ donor, we do have two kidneys after all, but only one heart; do humans become their own "parts store" and would clones have rights? Do you try to colonize the other bodies in the solar system like the Moon or Mars when we have so many problems on Earth and are nearly bankrupt?

Therefore, in all these technologies I hope that the scientists do not simply think that God will, in the words of Douglas Adams, "Vanish in a puff of logic," but be cognizant of the fact that their actions are laying the ground work for the future and they will, in one way or another, be accountable for their actions. Sir Isaac Newton had a vision of the future. So did Adolf Hitler.

[danielost]

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if only other believers thought that way too daniel.....

Everyone has the right to believe what they want, at least in the usa. As for some religion choices, the muslims believe just the act of touching a pig will send them to hell.

[danielost]

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then the choice should be given to the child in question, it is after all, their life.

'hi kid, wanna die?'

'no sir.'

'cool. have this kidney.'

not difficult really.....

Until they look to mom or dad.

[Tutankhaten-pasheri]

Japanese have been primed for this for years, as even a quick glimpse at manga will show. So probably some Cat/Human hybrid soon to be seen prowling in downtown Tokyo.....

[Lava_Lady]

When I first read the title to this story, I interpreted it as scientists in Japan received permission to create human/animal hybrids or something to that effect.... I'm not saying I'm dissapointed but we all would have had a lot more to talk about.

[danielost]

The bible says not eat blood. Jehovah witnesses see this as any foregn blood entering their bodies. Like ivs.

[Harte]

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so do I sundew.

the only ethical objections so far are of the 'scientists playing god' type, which is why a lot of stem cell research on humans is banned outright, but believe me, if it were THEIR children dying from something that could be cured by grown organs, the protesters would be the first ones kicking down the lab doors to get some!

when children are dying, NOT researching the best way to save them is unethical in my eyes.

it's unethical in the eyes of everyone WITH eyes!

save the dying, and let the naysayers be damned.....

Why is it always about "the children" dying?

I'd like a new pancreas myself. I seem to have worn out my original.

Also, under a controlled laboratory environment, we wouldn't need to worry about giving animal diseases to humans.

The only downside I see is that the pigs feelings are not being considered here. However, since pig's feelings are seldom, if ever, considered, that shouldn't be a hangup, right?

After all, we give smoked pig ears to our dogs.

Harte