Japan to Allow Human-Nonhuman Mixed Cloning

Sara Chan writes: "Japan has decided to allow combined human-animal embryos to be produced through cloning, which could result in mixed-species creatures. The intended purpose is to permit transplant organs to be produced in specially-bred animals. The original story is in a Japanese newspaper, but you can get an English summary here."

Comments

Gigantic moral issues

[PoiBoy]

Whether this is scientifically feasible is a trivial question compared to the ethics of such an endeavor. If one believes that humans are different from animals in that we contain a spirit and an awareness of God, then should a cross between a human and an animal be considered an animal or a spiritual being? Moreover, as an advanced society, do we really wish to combine our gene pool with that of an animal?

Is this a step forward for mankind, or a step backward?

Re:Gigantic moral issues

[Chasuk]

If one believes that humans are different from animals in that we contain a spirit and an awareness of God,

Religious belief doesn't deserve a special category, and should not be confused with ethics. I can think of several ethical objections to this type of research, and none of them involve a belief in God(s) or ensoulment.

Moreover, as an advanced society, do we really wish to combine our gene pool with that of an animal?

As we are animals, this question could almost be considered facetious, but I doubt that was your intent. The question should perhaps be:

As a society, advanced or otherwise, should we engage in research which mixes human and non-human gene pools?

My ethics ascribe nothing special to the state of being human (or nothing which would be pertinent to this debate), so the question, for me, becomes:

Should we engage in research which involves the mixing of interspecies gene pools?

Yes, we should, or at least we should not restrict ourselves from such research without solid, logical reasons. This reasons may also be ethical reasons, as logic and ethics are not necessarily mutually exclusive.

Re:Gigantic moral issues

[aozilla]

Whether this is scientifically feasible is a trivial question compared to the ethics of such an endeavor. If one believes that humans are different from animals in that we contain a spirit and an awareness of God, then should a cross between a human and an animal be considered an animal or a spiritual being?

Sounds like a good way to find out. Create one and ask it.

Differences in American and Japanese cultures

[bigdreamer]

I find it fascinating that in America, people freak out when they hear about human cells being cloned. But in Japan, they're discussing mixing animal cells with human cells. I wonder how Americans would react to such a combination? I don't think the Religious Right would handle this issue very well.

Re:Terrible idea

[Velox_SwiftFox]

Transgenic implants are a terrible idea. The most credible theory on the origin of HIV is that it jumped species after a bunch of vaccinations with a trial vaccine that had been incubated in monkeys. The first known cases of AIDS turn out to map pretty well to the trial sites.

Apocryphal.

HIV is a chimpanzee virus, well established in wild populations, and one which apparently causes them little trouble, Well adaped to its wild hosts, it spreads among them easily while maintaining a balance between surviving in their bodies and not damaging the host which are its natural home; this is why chimpanzees experimentally infected with HIV do not develop AIDS.

The most credible theory for transfer of the virus to humans involves a person hunting chimpanzees for food who had a cut or sore which came in contact with the blood of an infected chimp they killed.

Of course, this does nevertheless support your conclusion.

Limited change in cloning regulations

[DaoudaW]

Here is the English version of the same newspaper article.

From the article:
The hope is that human organs could be grown in other species and later transplanted into humans.

However, some said the decision opens the door to the risk of creating mixed-species organs, or possibly even creatures.

The article is about the publication of guidelines on research into human cloning. While allowing the cloning of aggregate embryos, the Wednesday announcement bars all other embryo cloning, citing insufficient debate about the ramifications of such cloning.

The research hasn't even begun yet. Maybe its possible to grow aggregate embryos, maybe its not. Maybe it will result in mixed-species, maybe not.

Re:Wow, that's a hell of a step.

[MulluskO]

Really.

I'm just worried that all this new life-prolonging technology will belong the wealthy alone. As it is now, it is already difficult enough to transcend one's class. What will happen when the wealthy really are smarter than average folk? I worry that children born without the technology won't be able to compete.

Assuming they maintain their stand, does this mean Christians and other moral types will one day live shorter lives and be less intelligent than people without such scruples?

Just a thought.

Re:won't fly in the USA

[Yorrike]

All I can say is, FINALLY!

A country has the guts (and yes, I'm not surprised it's Japan), to go about ignoring the stupid religious morals set by the US in regard to cloning animals/humans with the specific end of using them for organ harvesting.

I'm one step closer to being able to have a genetically perfect pancreas transplant, which means I'm a step closer to being able cease these stupid insulin injections 4-8 times a day.