Human-Sheep Hybrid

Scientists have created the first ever human-sheep hybrid as a development to eventually being able to grow organs for human transplants which could potentially lead to a cure for type 1 diabetes.  There is a global shortage of organ donors and thirty-two people die every day waiting for an organ transplant so this is life changing science. To expand the supply scientists are trying to 3D print organs in the lab and some are trying to create artificial, mechanical organs whilst others are making hybrids. There has been previous developments in human-pig hybrids but scientists were unable to obtain human organs from them for transplants. Scientists had hoped their organs could be transplanted directly but they were always rejected. The idea of growing human organs in another animal is ideal as patients would not reject the organs as their own cells are used to create them.

The process would involve obtaining a sheep embryo and modifying and deactivating the DNA that would normally develop the desired organ. Human stem cells would then be inserted into the embryo and the embryo then implanted back into the animal that donated it. This procedure could cause a human organ to grow inside the animal.

The topic has caused a lot of ethical debate with some people firmly supporting it whilst others are saying it is unnatural. Dr Pablo Ross, who is a member of the team working towards growing human organs in other species, talked about how “if our results indicate that the human cells all go to the brain of the animal, then we may never carry this forward.” However, the team can target certain places to avoid human cells differentiating into unwanted organs such as the human brain.
Some of the arguments against creating human hybrids are that it’s playing God and it’s wrong to create beings that are used at the disposal of science and it could lead to human/animal hybrids that are capable of independent life. The arguments in favour of human hybrids are that it could massively benefit human beings and no human or animal rights are violated as the embryo isn’t allowed to grow into a human or an animal.

Research like this will always spark ethical discussion but either way this is a major breakthrough in science that could lead to immense medical advancements.

We hope you found this interesting and thanks for reading!

Written by Lizzie Nash

Sources
www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-5404287/Scientists-create-human-sheep-hybrids.html
https://phys.org/news/2018-02-successful-human-animal-hybrid-sheep-embryo.html
http://www.nationalgeographic.co.uk/science-and-technology/2018/02/sheep-human-hybrids-made-lab-get-facts
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2018/feb/17/breakthrough-as-scientists-grow-sheep-embryos-containing-human-cells
http://www.bbc.co.uk/ethics/animals/using/hybridembryos_1.shtml

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