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Japan approves first human-animal embryo experiments

nature.com

11–20 of 187 posts

Re: Japan approves first human-animal embryo experiments

#12
post #6

Yeah America has all the moral debates about genetics and experiments with embryos. But the bottom line is other countries are going to move forward no matter what America does.

While I disagree with the US's stance, ignoring your morals because other countries are doing something would be a race to the bottom.

Re: Japan approves first human-animal embryo experiments

#14
post #6

Yeah America has all the moral debates about genetics and experiments with embryos. But the bottom line is other countries are going to move forward no matter what America does.

> ...other countries are going to move forward no matter what America does.

While that's their prerogative, the US could still enact trade sanctions.

On the other hand, DARPA is probably already working on the next generation of hybrid human/gorilla soldier.

Related:

https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg19926701-000-blasts-f...

Re: Japan approves first human-animal embryo experiments

#15

I worry about allowing Japan, a country that has refused to fully own up to the biomedical atrocities it committed with Unit 731, to lead the way on these kinds of experiments. I would feel much more comfortable if there was international ethical oversight.

1945 was a long time ago and a very different Japan... We don't still force Germany to have caps on its army.

Re: Japan approves first human-animal embryo experiments

#16
post #11
post #6

Yeah America has all the moral debates about genetics and experiments with embryos. But the bottom line is other countries are going to move forward no matter what America does.

>Assuming the Japanese don't have debates on bioethics. Nice.

He didn't assume that. Also, you're making the internet a worse place by accusing him of doing that. You should feel bad.

Re: Japan approves first human-animal embryo experiments

#18
post #6

Yeah America has all the moral debates about genetics and experiments with embryos. But the bottom line is other countries are going to move forward no matter what America does.

According to the article, these experiments have already been done in the US before.

Re: Japan approves first human-animal embryo experiments

#19
post #2

grow human organs inside rats and? how does that work? i don't understand. meanwhile we are entering the sixt mass extinction event caused by a massive climate change. what good is this technology when you have failing crops, extreme weather, no electricity and mass immigration at your doorstep?

For human organs the most likely host species is pig.

Pigs are big enough and apparently quite similar to us. And also the slaughter of hundreds of millions of them every year is already well accepted...

Re: Japan approves first human-animal embryo experiments

#20
post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Presumably, the eventual goal is to grow full-sized organs inside some larger animal. Then the organ can be harvested and transplanted to a human who needs it. Per my understanding, medicine does a lot of work with rats because they're cheap and easy to work with, so any new technology of this type would be tried on rats first. By the way, my neutral explanation above doesn't mean that I approve of doing such things.…

Hopefully the use of animals for tissue incubation and harvesting is a bridge to a future when animals are no longer required for human tissue synthesis. Artificial womb experiments are going well [1], as well as tissue synthesis for cultured meat (which is just animal muscle), so...maybe? [1] https://www.theverge.com/2017/4/25/15421734/artificial-womb-...

Reminds me of the Bene Tleilax and their Axlotl tanks - presumed to be advanced technology but in reality female humans.
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