The Chimera of Greek myth had a lion’s head, goat’s body, and snake’s tail. Scientists have made a chimeric monkey with cells from two types of monkeys, which could one day lead to better lab models for scientists and donor organs for patients. Continue reading The birth of the first chimeric monkey that survived for 10 days
Type II diabetes is a rising global epidemic without any current treatments. But scientists have designed an interesting chimeric protein that aims to increase insulin sensitivity in patients and thereby provide a potential cure. Continue reading Using Chimeric Proteins to Fight Type II Diabetes
For as long as humans have conceived of making hybrid organisms, an ethical debate has been waged over whether or not we should. The pros and cons are vast and poignant. Each new scientific advancement towards making hybrids stokes the fire of controversy. This year, researchers presented work at a conference detailing the most recent hybrid: a sheep-human chimera. To create these chimeras, scientists used … Continue reading Scientists have created sheep that are 0.01% human
The National Institutes of Health recently announced that it expects to lift a ban on research involving animal embryos that have been injected with human stem cells. Embryonic stem cells are already lightning rods for controversy, but part-human “chimeras” are saddled with their own set of ethical dilemmas. Some worry, for example, that chimeras could develop human-like brains that might afford the animal a rudimentary … Continue reading Beyond mythology: NIH plans to lift ban on chimera research