A moratorium was issued on the subject by the National Institute of Health, as they need to assess the possible ethical issues …show more content…
Human cells have been inserted into mice to create chimeras before for cancer research, but the issues lies with other species. This has only been knowingly carried out on mice, and some worry that animals could become humanized. The range of effects that result from the insertion of human cells may pose a serious problem.
The support for human chimera hybrids lies in the medicinal possibilities. New treatments could be developed for humans. Scientists also hope that they could use the hybrids to grow human organs. Many patients suffer from a lack of availability of organs. New technologies could be developed for animal research. Over time, the medical field could radically change due to the presence of chimeras.
Ethical issues weigh down the support for government grants. The creation of a being that is not an animal or a human is objectionable. It would cause confusion in human relationships with other species. Other concerns include the prospect of animals gaining human-like abilities and intelligence from the presence of human stem cells. Some even worry about the idea of animals creating human embryos. If animals carry human sperm and eggs, would it be acceptable to create a human in this manner? The concept of creating and altering the structure of animals with human characteristics is