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Stem Cell Research Could Create Human-Mouse Hybrid
Posted by Steven Wu on Wednesday, November 27 @ 03:18:15 EST News
The New York Times has a story entitled, "Stem Cell Mixing May Form a Human- Mouse Hybrid." Scientists are not allowed to test the effect of embryonic stem cells on humans, so they end up integrating human stem cells into mice embryos to see what will happen. But this research could lead to mice that, for instance, generate human egg and sperm. And how's this for a mind-blowing consequence of such research: one scientist suggests as a nightmare scenario "the possibility that a mouse making human sperm might accidentally be allowed to mate with a mouse that had made its eggs from human cells," leading to a human embryo conceived by mice (and scientists).

The question is whether these kinds of horror stories will further the fear of and moral outrage against stem cell research that were actualized by President Bush's denial of federal funding to any new embryonic stem cell lines. So far only two states (California and, recently, New Jersey) openly encourage stem-cell research despite the federal government's ban. The possibility of mice-children probably won't help matters (although Christopher Reeve might).

 
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