Cloning Yields Human/Rabbit Hybrid

[Durandal7]

Scientists in China have, for the first time, used cloning techniques to create hybrid embryos that contain a mix of DNA from both humans and rabbits, according to a report in a scientific journal that has reignited the smoldering ethics debate over cloning research.

More than 100 of the hybrids, made by fusing human skin cells with rabbit eggs, were allowed to develop in laboratory dishes for several days before the scientists destroyed them to retrieve so-called embryonic stem cells from their interiors. Although scientists in Massachusetts had previously mixed human cells and cow eggs in a similar attempt to make hybrid embryos as a source of stem cells, those experiments were not successful.

Researchers said yesterday they were hopeful that the rabbit work would lead to a new and plentiful source of embryonic stem cells for research and, eventually, for medical use. But theologians and others decried the work as unethical.

Some wondered aloud what, exactly, such a creature would be if it were transferred to a womb to develop to term.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A55911-2003Aug13?language=printer

Human cloning can't be too far behind.

[Powerbook G5]

So that's where Roger Rabbit came from! That explains so much... :)

[MacBandit]

Hopefully this will create an army of supermodels that screw like rabbits.:D

[tazo]

This leads me to ask one question: Will these scientists keep going, and going, and going? :cool:

Seriously though I think cloning of this kind should be outlawed because should this become mainstream horrible things could happen. A jaguar and a human? Steve Jobs? ;)

[MrMacMan]

Arg, human DNA and Rabbit DNA are incompatible for mating, what makes anyone think this is going to work?

Ech, impossible, if not only will kill the subject.

[Mr. Anderson]

I would be surprised if the embryo would survive and live on.

But even given the issues surrounding stem cell research, it has the potential for discovering cures to many human afflictions.

And we'll continue to see a lot more research, whether with rabbits or humans.

D

[idea_hamster]

Maybe they'll be able to create a human/Dick Cheney hybrid...oops, should that go in Politics? ;)

[Juventuz]

Sounds very interesting. I'd like to see what type of research they get fromt the stem cells.

As for the theologians, didn't God give man free will? Perhaps this is all part of his plan?

[wdlove]

Originally posted by Juventuz
Sounds very interesting. I'd like to see what type of research they get fromt the stem cells.

As for the theologians, didn't God give man free will? Perhaps this is all part of his plan?

Only time will tell if it is his plan. All we can do is pray for his direction, that we might trully do his will. Doing research on currently available cells should continue. No one really knows what the future might hold. Up to this point research has been to improve our quality of life, hope that it will continue!

[G4scott]

It's great that we are able to save lives in so many ways, and to allow people to live longer, but it may soon get to a point where we have too many people who are too old.

While the thought of losing a loved one is hard for many people to deal with, we have to realize that nobody can live forever.

While cloning and these types of things are very controversial, and strike a bad chord with religion, wasn't it Jesus who helped the blind see? So if we can grow eyes for the blind by cloning DNA, how is it bad?

Now, cloning people to breed a superior race would be really screwed up...

I think I've just confused myself...

[NavyIntel007]

The last thing we need is clones of humans. We are overpopulating this planet. We are taxing our resources to the limits. We damn our children by cloning the great minds of old and not letting them prove their worth (after all, you'll never be einstein). Forget ethics and playing God... we don't NEED more humans.

[rainman::|:|]

the embryo was never meant to get beyond, probably, zygote stage.

this is a perfect example of why the international community needs to rally together and form clear laws and regulations banning human cloning research. Hell, i don't like bioengineering at all, eventually we'll tinker with so many animals that the ecosystem will simply collapse, killing most of the other animals and plantlife. But oh wouldn't it be great if farmers had hardier corn. Or fish got bigger, or hogs grew less fatty. :rolleyes:

it's not worth it.

pnw

[Gus]

Originally posted by MacBandit
Hopefully this will create an army of supermodels that screw like rabbits.:D

I'm glad I wasn't the only one to have this immediate reaction. ;)

Guys, this isn't designed to create a new lifeform, but just to create the stem cells for research. There will (unfortunately) be no supermodels with rabitts' mating tendencies. :)

Regards,
Gus

[Sayhey]

Originally posted by MrMacman
Arg, human DNA and Rabbit DNA are incompatible for mating, what makes anyone think this is going to work?

Ech, impossible, if not only will kill the subject.

All kinds of mix and match from different species is possible, take a look at these fish that have been bioengineered with jellyfish protein:
http://www.mongabay.com/external/glowing_fish.htm

Frankenfish are already here!

[themadchemist]

Originally posted by MrMacman
Arg, human DNA and Rabbit DNA are incompatible for mating, what makes anyone think this is going to work?

Ech, impossible, if not only will kill the subject.

Ah, but they're not producing new chromosomes through mating. No, if I understand it correctly, they are SPLICING genetic material together to create hybrid DNA.

If that's true, then this isn't all that unprecedented. We already have genetically modified foods--Like strawberries with segments of DNA from arctic fish so that they can resist the cold.

[MacBandit]

Originally posted by NavyIntel007
The last thing we need is clones of humans. We are overpopulating this planet. We are taxing our resources to the limits. We damn our children by cloning the great minds of old and not letting them prove their worth (after all, you'll never be einstein). Forget ethics and playing God... we don't NEED more humans.

Totally agreed overpopulation is our most pressing problem at this very moment. It far outweighs global warming, pollution, and even planet killing asteroids.

[MacBandit]

Originally posted by paulwhannel
But oh wouldn't it be great if farmers had hardier corn. Or fish got bigger, or hogs grew less fatty. :rolleyes:

it's not worth it.

pnw

Most of what people call genetic research on products like corn has nothing to do with a lab and cells. It has to do with cross breeding and splicing. Yes for some reason in the last decade this has been considered genetic research.

[Durandal7]

Overpopulation will soon resolve itself. As countries around the world become more modernized the birth rate will begin to level off. China's population will begin to drop off in the next few decades due to modernization and the problem of too many males.

The population will probably peak at around 9 billion in 2020 and begin to decline after that.

[MacBandit]

Originally posted by Durandal7
Overpopulation will soon resolve itself. As countries around the world become more modernized the birth rate will begin to level off. China's population will begin to drop off in the next few decades due to modernization and the problem of too many males.

The population will probably peak at around 9 billion in 2020 and begin to decline after that.

Do you realize that the world didn't even reach 1 billion in human population until around the turn of the 20th century. In the 60's it reached 3 billion and now we're at 6 billion or thereabouts. If it doesn't level off we will reach 12 billion by 2020. With our current technological level of waste disposal and food production the world can not sustain more then 12 billion people.

[MrMacMan]

Originally posted by idea_hamster
Maybe they'll be able to create a human/Dick Cheney hybrid...oops, should that go in Politics? ;)

Why would you want to have a hybrid of a dead guy and a human?

:p

Originally posted by wdlove
Only time will tell if it is his plan. All we can do is pray for his direction, that we might trully do his will. Doing research on currently available cells should continue. No one really knows what the future might hold. Up to this point research has been to improve our quality of life, hope that it will continue!
Ah! Finally a Sensable view from someone on this issue.
I think Bush's Interpertation of god's will isn't going to advance this nation.

:(

This science could help people i *know and love* but he can't see that. :(

Yeah, I don't care for cloning full people, that I'm not for, there is little use, it just makes a physical (or sometimes not a phyical) duplicate, and most of the time people who are looking to be cloned want the personallity, not the body.

Originally posted by Sayhey
All kinds of mix and match from different species is possible, take a look at these fish that have been bioengineered with jellyfish protein:
http://www.mongabay.com/external/glowing_fish.htm

Frankenfish are already here!

They added one Gene to the fish, they are talking about Splicing 2 Species together, very very different.

The Cold Spring Lab on Long Island does some of this type of work, acually I got mold to gain the charistic of glowing green, that was genetic engineering, very basic but I know the concept.


Splicing it totally different. Does the New Species have a tail? Does it walk on 4 or 2 Feet? Which species controls the shape of the ears?

To name just a few basic questions, I doubt this organism will live, but for disease purposes I hope they learn all they can about this and move on to better work.

[Durandal7]

Originally posted by MacBandit
Do you realize that the world didn't even reach 1 billion in human population until around the turn of the 20th century. In the 60's it reached 3 billion and now we're at 6 billion or thereabouts. If it doesn't level off we will reach 12 billion by 2020. With our current technological level of waste disposal and food production the world can not sustain more then 12 billion people.

Yes, I realise that. I also realise that it has been shown that in areas that are technologically advanced with a well-educated people that the birth rate drops.

The population of the US would be nearly stagnant if not for immigration. Europe's population is about to level off. Once rural Asia and Africa become more industrialized in the next few decades the birth rates will drop off.

As far as I'm concerned it's logical for the Human race to swell in numbers to around 9 billion or so. It will become necessary to maintain a technological culture and infrastructure.

[MacBandit]

Originally posted by MrMacman
.........Yeah, I don't care for cloning full people, that I'm not for, there is little use, it just makes a physical (or sometimes not a phyical) duplicate, and most of the time people who are looking to be cloned want the personallity, not the body.



This is what I have been wanting all along. Wouldn't it be nice if you lost your arm or leg or other extremely valuable appendage if they could clone it and attach a perfectly knew undamaged one. Also since it's your genetic match there should be no organ rejection. This would also be nice for human skin as skin grafts don't always look the best.

[Durandal7]

I mostly posted this because I find it fascinating the progress that is being made in manipulating human genes. If we can do this then I don't think it is to long until we see a real clone baby, not one of those Clonaid scams.

Remember Clonaid? Those crazy bastards.

[Backtothemac]

I personally find this whole cloning thing really sick. I cannot, and will not understand why scientists do not understand the moral issues involved with this.

[MrMacMan]

Originally posted by Backtothemac
I personally find this whole cloning thing really sick. I cannot, and will not understand why scientists do not understand the moral issues involved with this.

Please explain the moral issue...

Is it biblical?

It it socal?

You didn't state why it was morally wrong.

[themadchemist]

Originally posted by MacBandit
This is what I have been wanting all along. Wouldn't it be nice if you lost your arm or leg or other extremely valuable appendage if they could clone it and attach a perfectly knew undamaged one. Also since it's your genetic match there should be no organ rejection. This would also be nice for human skin as skin grafts don't always look the best.

Having a separately cloned appendage transplanted in would not be the best cure to the situation. Clones tend to be weaker and more susceptible to disease. Let's say you transplanted one of your cloned kidneys in. It probably wouldn't be as capable as your originals.

What I think would be better would be stem cells. Let's say that you have a damaged liver. Inserting stem cells may cause them to develop into liver cells (they tend to develop into cells of the type near them) and would repair your liver.

I guess this wouldn't help if you lost and arm or a leg, but then again, how much would it help to have a spare arm or leg sitting around. To actually attach that arm or leg is not an easy task. I imagine it would be more difficult than transplanting an actual organ. Correct me if I'm wrong.

[Capt Underpants]

Originally posted by tazo
This leads me to ask one question: Will these scientists keep going, and going, and going? :cool:

Seriously though I think cloning of this kind should be outlawed because should this become mainstream horrible things could happen. A jaguar and a human? Steve Jobs? ;)

Agreed. This cloning thing is scary. It does, IMO, nedd to be outlawed. We are creating our own demise.

[Backtothemac]

Originally posted by MrMacman
Please explain the moral issue...

Is it biblical?

It it socal?

You didn't state why it was morally wrong.

I think it is morally wrong on every single level that can exist. I just think that it is massively wrong.