Monkey-Human hybrids: Embryos containing human cells

For the first time, scientists have been able to successfully grow monkey embryos containing human cells.

Researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological studies in California, working in collaboration with Chinese scientists, grew the embryos in a dish with some surviving up to 20 days.

Their research, published last week, immediately ignited debate over the ethics of such an endeavor and sparked fears of human-monkey hybrids.

But Insoo Hyun, a leading bioethicist at Case Western Reserve University in Ohio and the director of research ethics at Harvard Medical School, says such fears are misplaced. 

As a bioethicist, when you heard about what these researchers have done, did it raise any ethical concerns for you? 

I had known about this study as it was ongoing for quite some time, so it wasn’t a situation where I, along with everyone else, read the news and reacted to it. I had quite a bit of time to process what was going on and to understand the rationale for the research.

In my role as a bioethicist for the International Society of Stem Cell Research I had known about it for a couple of years. 

I can certainly see how for many people when they hear this news for the first time it is quite shocking. I definitely understand that.

My perspective is starting from a much earlier point and having a longer time to think about it. 

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