A monkey born in China with fluorescent green eyes and fingertips is the first live primate “chimera” created with stem cells, researchers say, meaning the creature has tissue and DNA derived from two genetically distinct embryos.
The birth of the monkey is a leap forward in the study of regenerative medicine using stem cells and the realm of chimeric research, which could one day lead to animals such as pigs being used to grow human organs.
The crab-eating macaque, a common study species, was born from an embryo that researchers injected with stem cells derived from a separate embryo. The injected cells were tagged with a green protein, so the scientists could see which tissues grew from the stem cells.
The resulting animal had a high proportion of green-tinged tissue produced by the stem cells, including in its eyes, fingers, tail and up to 90 per cent of its brain, the authors of the Cell paper said. The monkey died after 10 days.
The technique could one day create monkeys with humanlike tissues or disease, which would let biomedical researchers more precisely screen drugs and test new therapies for afflictions such as ALS, the researchers said.
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