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Pigs with Human Genes

Posted by CowboyNeal on from the everything-but-sweat-glands dept.

LGRiske writes "In a step toward creating herds of pigs that could provide organs for transplanting into humans, Italian researchers manipulated swine sperm to make an animal strain that carries human genes in the heart, liver and kidneys."

4 of 283 comments (clear)

  1. great, we're all doomed by GoatPigSheep · · Score: 1, Troll

    Despite my name, I am not a fan of genetically modified pigs. We are tampering with nature in ways where we do not know the long term consequences. There are several reasons I shall list of why using pigs as 'organ farms' is not a good idea.

    1) Nobody knows what might happen if these pigs somehow were released into the wild. A new species of 'super-pig' could potentionally cause wisespread damage if they escaped captivity.

    2) Pigs are dirty, they typically roll in their own feces. This is not an appropriate animal to use for 'human' organs.

    3) Using Pigs in such a fasion is inhumane. Nobody knows the pain these pigs could live with because we have set off certain gene sequences we should not have.

    4) Pigs are not kosher, and Jewish or Moslems would not be able to benefit from these advances. That's alienting 1/5 of the planet right there from being able to benefit from this.

    5) We are tampering with God's work. Pigs were created perfect the way they are, as are we. Toying with genes is tampering with God's perfect work and SHOULD not be done under any sane principals.

    --
    GoatPigSheep, the 3 most important food groups
    1. Re:great, we're all doomed by StormyWeather · · Score: 0, Troll

      Dear sir, you may find that trolls such as yourself roll in their own feces when crammed in a tight pen crowded with a hundred other trolls with no other place to do number 2. Pigs do not typically wallow in their own feces unless forced to by the condition of their entrapment. They are truely no more "dirty" than any other critter in the wild, in fact many people that own them as pets will argue they are cleaner than domesticated animals. And no I'm not a vegetrendian, but I don't delude myself with your drivel either. I'm an omnivore, and that's unlikely to change. WHO DOES NUMBER 2 WORK FOR?? YOU TELL NUMBER 2 WHO'S BOSS!!

  2. you might, I don't by DrSkwid · · Score: 1, Troll

    Since we're willing to butcher them and eat them, there shouldn't be any ethical objection to butchering them for parts.

    I'm not willing to butcher them & 'harvest' them for food any more than I could stick a gun in *your* ribs and harvest your wallet.

    But it no surprise that a society that doesn't treat all of it's citizens with dignity would come up with such an horrific idea.

    --
    There are places where the networks are not touching,and there are places where they are-Boeing's Lori Gunter
  3. And man descends from apes? by tobo · · Score: 0, Troll

    By suggesting that pigs have actually descended from humans you have forever hurt my religious beliefs. Lots of bad karma for Slashdot. Lots and lots and lots of bad karma for Slashdot!

    Next you will start publishing wicked evolutionary communist propaganda that Darwin was actually right. I shall ban my wife and kids from reading Slashdot immediately.

    When Slashdot becomes Sodom and Gomorrah the wrath of God will be so strong that even Stallman cannot lead you to the promised land of better open source software.