Straight out of a science fiction story, a researcher has created animal/human hybrids for medical testing. The University of Nevada-Reno scientist has a flock of sheep, some with semi-human hearts, livers, brains, and other organs. He even has a plan to put a pregnant ewe to sleep to examine the brain of the fetus, which has had human brain cells injected into it a few months back.

Even crazier, his research is firmly grounded in new ethical guidelines from the National Academies of Science.

In fact, the Academies' report endorses research that co-mingles human and animal tissue as vital to ensuring that experimental drugs and new tissue replacement therapies are safe for people.

We've heard for years of using animal parts in humans, such as using pig heart valves to replace human heart valves, and scientists have used human cells in animals for even longer, like growing ears on the backs of mice. But it seems now, we're taking it a step further, and it's getting just a bit creepy.

Now the question is raised: What if the human consciousness got trapped inside a sheep's head? Don't worry, the good doctors have thought of that.

The "idea that human neuronal cells might participate in 'higher order' brain functions in a nonhuman animal, however unlikely that may be, raises concerns that need to be considered," the academies report warned.

Stanford University wants to make mice with brains made almost wholly of human cells, which they say would help them probe the depths of our minds even further. They said they will destroy any mice that exhibit humanlike behavior. And back at UN-Reno, Dr. Esmail Zanjani wants to further human-animal hybrid research, for the goals of creating human tissue and organs for transplantation, and test more experimental drugs.

Zanjani is most optimistic about the sheep that grow partially human livers after human stem cells are injected into them while they are still in the womb. Most of the adult sheep in his experiment contain about 10 percent human liver cells, though a few have as much as 40 percent, Zanjani said.

Zanjani must first ensure no animal diseases would be passed on to patients. He also must find an efficient way to completely separate the human and sheep cells, a tough task because the human cells aren't clumped together but are rather spread throughout the sheep's liver.

Zanjani and other stem cell scientists defend their research and insist they aren't creating monsters or anything remotely human.

"We haven't seen them act as anything but sheep," Zanjani said.

More and more, we're starting to see early sci-fi writers as H.G. Wells and Jules Verne predicted the future correctly. Is it not too far off before we hear the chant of "Four legs good, two legs bad!" from our humanimal friends?

mister_x

Plano, TX

January 2003

MAY 01, 2005 02:34 PM

"It is a man. He must learn the Law..."

sunheart

Salem, OR

April 2005

MAY 01, 2005 02:51 PM

Wow Pinky and the Brain? Secret of Nim? Anyone else find this kinda cool in a weird messed up sorta way? Allright it might just be me I love the story of the construct. More human than human.

MC_Dove

Cincinnati, OH

November 2004

MAY 01, 2005 03:13 PM

best...news...ever

EdmundOG

I'm lost

July 2004

MAY 01, 2005 03:37 PM

Are We Not Men?

LuckyThirteeN

Jacksonville, FL

October 2004

MAY 01, 2005 03:42 PM

What are we doing tonight Brain????

daveglss79828

Miami, FL

January 2004

MAY 01, 2005 03:44 PM

VERY BAD IDEA!!!

I don't want a sheep disease to mutate to affect humans...

Andvari

Calgary, AB

April 2005

MAY 01, 2005 03:46 PM

Yeah, I'm hairy enough thank you, I don't want to made into sweaters.

remyx

Little Rock, AR

March 2004

MAY 01, 2005 03:47 PM

Baaaa!!!

jake_lex

Lexington, KY

February 2003

MAY 01, 2005 04:00 PM

This is all leading up to a sheep with four asses.

One_Pure_Thought

East Greenwich, RI

October 2003

MAY 01, 2005 04:10 PM

Oh man, if I see a mouse start drawing plans for escape or world domination...fuck destroying them...I'll talk to them

oldmoonmeetnew

Braintree, MA

February 2005

MAY 01, 2005 04:21 PM

When I see the phrase "human-animal hybrid" something far different than this comes to mind. If they're using it for medical purposes on either animals or humans, than I am for that. So long as they don't begin making beings more along the lines of what comes to mind when I hear that phrase, "human-animal hybrid". That would just be so un-needed.

hermetica

Cook Islands

January 2004

MAY 01, 2005 04:36 PM

One_Pure_Thought said:
Oh man, if I see a mouse start drawing plans for escape or world domination...fuck destroying them...I'll talk to them

I almost feel obliged to say
'I, for one, welcome our new mutant mous/sheep/human overlords'

but thats just so.. Boards..

blck_flwrsplease

Albuquerque, NM

October 2004

MAY 01, 2005 04:49 PM

I wonder what kind of "human behavior" a mouse could exhibit?... like sitting with its legs crossed or something....
Im all for this kind of stuff- I think philosophical ethical considerations kind of become flimsy if you actually have a loved one that could bennefit from this type of research -
there was a show on the discovery channel about crossbreeding a chimpanzee and a human - like it might actually be possible for a human to impregnate a chimpanzee - that would be fucking creepy......

theseeman

Asheville, NC

December 2002

MAY 01, 2005 05:06 PM

Get your range time in now. You might need it later.

funnyman

Cherry Hill, NJ

December 2004

MAY 01, 2005 05:55 PM

hermetica said:

One_Pure_Thought said:
Oh man, if I see a mouse start drawing plans for escape or world domination...fuck destroying them...I'll talk to them

I almost feel obliged to say
'I, for one, welcome our new mutant mous/sheep/human overlords'

but thats just so.. Boards..

YES!!!! 2 amazing references combined into one: hitchhiker's guide AND half life 2! w00t! Go mice!

funnyman

Cherry Hill, NJ

December 2004

MAY 01, 2005 05:58 PM

more on topic, i think this is both a great achievement, vut it could open a door that needs not be opened. there is a small chance of mutated strains of animal diseases, but there is also the opportunity for the creation of new treatments to various ailments. so bravo/damnit.

funnyman

Cherry Hill, NJ

December 2004

MAY 01, 2005 06:14 PM

hermetica said:

One_Pure_Thought said:
Oh man, if I see a mouse start drawing plans for escape or world domination...fuck destroying them...I'll talk to them

I almost feel obliged to say
'I, for one, welcome our new mutant mous/sheep/human overlords'

but thats just so.. Boards..

YES!!!! 2 amazing references combined into one: hitchhiker's guide AND half life 2! w00t! Go mice!

alpha_hazard

Fort Collins, CO

April 2004

MAY 01, 2005 06:39 PM

...don't tell a scottsman...

McBane13

I'm lost

April 2004

MAY 01, 2005 07:02 PM

I can see it now...

The mice taking the experiments, while secretly planning the extermination of humans while the scientists go home...we're boned.

SawneyBeane

Victoria, BC

January 2004

MAY 01, 2005 08:40 PM

theseeman said:
Get your range time in now. You might need it later.

Damn right. Lets get this end of the world shit going already.

Yee hah!

theseeman

Asheville, NC

December 2002

MAY 01, 2005 08:57 PM

ratbone said:

theseeman said:
Get your range time in now. You might need it later.

Damn right. Lets get this end of the world shit going already.

Yee hah!

I'm just saying be it Zombies from bioweapons or GM food or genetically engineered mutants or robot/andriods or some sort of hybrid like a chickencow odds are we are going to have to fight off something. Thankfully the Source engine has prepared me for such challenges.