• UGI USER
  • Nov 20, 2023
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Chimaeras: Genetic Marvels with Potential Human Organ Production

 Human-Pig Chimaeras in Medical Research

  • Human-pig chimaeras are being created in labs to explore systems capable of producing appropriately-sized human organs.
  • With over 300,000 people awaiting organ transplants in India alone, the global shortage is a critical concern.
  • Animals, from pigs to rats, have played a vital role in bridging the gap between organ donors and recipients.

Source: Washington Post

Animal Contributions in Medical Advances

  • Past successes include the use of animal insulin and heart valves in human surgeries.
  • Researchers aim to grow complete human organs within animals using induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) technology.
  • Controversy surrounds human iPSCs used in animal embryos, raising ethical questions yet to be fully addressed.

Natural Chimaeras in Nature

  • Chimaeras, organisms with cells of different genetic makeups, exist in the animal kingdom.
  • Examples include the half-sider budgerigar and the anglerfish, displaying varying degrees of chimerism.
  • Human chimaeras documented in medical literature involve genetic changes in cells and fusion of fertilized zygotes.

Chimerism in Humans: Blood Types and Beyond

  • Human chimerism can result from genetic changes in a cell, twin pregnancies merging into a single foetus, or absorbed foetuses in multiple pregnancies.
  • Blood-group chimerism is relatively common during multiple births, often detected during routine blood tests.
  • Individuals undergoing bone marrow transplants become chimeric as the donor’s stem cells repopulate the recipient’s blood cells.

Recent Breakthrough: Chimeric Monkey

  • A recent study reported the successful creation of a live chimaeric monkey from Cynomolgus monkeys.
  • Scientists modified embryonic stem cells, including a green fluorescent protein (GFP), and injected them into surrogate monkey embryos.
  • The chimeric monkey exhibited GFP signals in various tissues, marking a milestone in creating chimaeras close to humans.

Future Implications 

  • This breakthrough opens avenues for non-human primates as models for biomedical applications.

While this scientific progress is promising, ethical challenges and limitations demand careful consideration before Human trial.