Transgenic Animals in Medical Research
As we gain a deeper understanding of genetics, our unyielding curiosity has prompted us to enter some dangerous areas of research. Transgenic and gene knock-out studies and generations of chimeras may be a predictable course, but the implications are of great concern to many. In order to make more human-like models for medical research, scientists are blending human cells with animals. Named after the mythological creature, Chimeras are made up of DNA from more than one species. Oh the Oryx and Crake of it all!
This is serious, cutting edge science with the promise of curing some of the most heinous diseases. Leaders of this science like Joseph Gosselin, a Senior Research Scientist and Supervisor of the Transgenic Animal Facility, are making notable progress. But what of the inevitable unintended consequences?
Monkey stem cells + Human stem cells = What Exactly?
Human neural stem cells have been surgically implanted into the brains of monkeys. When the human cells mature, they function as living partners with the billions of monkey brain cells that are already there. The hope is to learn enough to cure Parkinson’s disease and brain cancer. Scientists combine components of two different species in one body. This is but one example of the ever growing use of transgenic animals in medical research.
The difference between today’s research and the early years of animal cloning is the use of human embryonic stem cells. This crosses a significant boundary. There are those who feel some paths to cures should not be taken. How will we categorize new species? Is it still a monkey if human DNA is a part of its make up? What are the moral, ethical and social implications of part human species?
Monsanto Seeks Life Science Companies to Stay on the Cutting Edge
As more and more animal - human - plant DNA cocktails emerge for medical research, so too does this technology impact global crop management. With huge multinational corporations like Monsanto leading the research, how much information will be locked in protected R&D facilities? Corporations are not known for their communications about anything south of positive. No one wants to scare away investors or give Wall Street a reason to lower stock values.
Monsanto's Seed and Genomics division made $7 billion in sales in 2009. They are responsible for 90% of the world's genetically altered seeds and have just announced their interest in securing life science companies. As 2011 brings more players looking to snag their piece of the genetically altered pie, will Monsanto be driven by Wall Street at the expense of the consumer? Hmm, where have we heard this before? Large corporations choosing higher profit margins over the American public...something about credit default swaps. No matter, a company like Monsanto, who also brought us Agent Orange and DDT will surely keep us in mind.
Big Pharma a Big Player in Transgenic Animal Research
Animal Pharming is the use of transgenic animals to create pharmaceuticals. And this is where it gets really freaky. Transgenic animals have been genetically transformed by splicing and inserting foreign animal or human genes into their chromosomes. The inserted gene enables an animal to make a certain pharmaceutical protein in its milk, urine, blood, sperm, or eggs. We are already using an anticoagulant protein from the milk of transgenic goats to treat hereditary disorders. A herd of transgenic cows produce human serum, albumin, used in the treatment of burns and traumatic injuries. It’s big business, with estimated returns in the billions.
We have reached a critical time in human history. Our relationship to human - to species, has been altered forever. As we have learned to live with nuclear technology, we will learn to live with the impact of a genetically altered world. We recognize the doomsday generation as the societal fallout of a generation struggling with the ever present threat of nuclear war. How will the next generation relate to a genetically altered world? Talk about an identity crisis?
It may be "absolutely insane", but countless discoveries have been made through animal research which would've taken either many years to find out, or the death of many human volunteers.
As tough as it is for me to accept, I think it is justified sometimes.