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More Thoughts on Humanized Animals

A German ethics council weighs in on the discussion about the use of human-animal chimeras in research.

Written byJef Akst
| 1 min read

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WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

The German National Ethics Council says that mice carrying human genetic material can be ethically used in biomedical research, but scientists must get permission from a national ethics panel, ScienceInsider reports. The report further outlines certain practices that should not be allowed, including the experiments that mix animal material into the human germline or vice versa. One issue that remains unresolved, however, is the creation of cybrids, formed by the insertion of a human cell nucleus into an animal egg, which the panel concluded is different than both human cloning and research that harms human embryos—both of which are forbidden by German law.

The recommendations echo the views of a recent working group organized by the UK’s Academy of Medical Sciences, which similarly argued that ...

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Meet the Author

  • Jef (an unusual nickname for Jennifer) got her master’s degree from Indiana University in April 2009 studying the mating behavior of seahorses. After four years of diving off the Gulf Coast of Tampa and performing behavioral experiments at the Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga, she left research to pursue a career in science writing. As The Scientist's managing editor, Jef edited features and oversaw the production of the TS Digest and quarterly print magazine. In 2022, her feature on uterus transplantation earned first place in the trade category of the Awards for Excellence in Health Care Journalism. She is a member of the National Association of Science Writers.

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