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Scientists have created the first human-pig embryo hybrids in a controversial study which they say marks the first step toward growing human organs inside animals.
The pig-human chimeras were created in the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in California and the team responsible also report the creation of mouse–rat and human–cow hybrids
RT reports:
“The ultimate goal is to grow functional and transplantable tissue or organs, but we are far away from that,” Juan Carlos Izpisua Belmonte, who led the project, said. “This is an important first step.”
First peer-reviewed account published of creating pig–human hybrid fetuses; other chimaeras also reported: http://go.nature.com/2j8Bijy
Human stem cells were injected into young pig embryos, which were then placed in surrogate cows. Of the more than 2,000 embryos, only 186 turned into chimeras – largely pig, with human elements in 1 out of 10,000 cells.
After 28 days of a pig’s 112-day pregnancy, the pig-humans were removed as scientists say the embryos had developed enough for them to study in what way the cells mix together “without raising ethical concerns about mature chimeric animals,” Izpisua Belmonte said.