Now scientists create a sheep that's 15% human (Goal is to produce organs for human transplant)

This Is London ^ | March 23, 2007

[Stoat]

Now scientists create a sheep that's 15% human

25.03.07

 

Scientists have created the world's first human-sheep chimera - which has the body of a sheep and half-human organs.

The sheep have 15 per cent human cells and 85 per cent animal cells - and their evolution brings the prospect of animal organs being transplanted into humans one step closer.

Professor Esmail Zanjani, of the University of Nevada, has spent seven years and £5million perfecting the technique, which involves injecting adult human cells into a sheep's foetus.

 

 

Chimera: sheep have 15 per cent human cells and 85 per cent animal cells

 

He has already created a sheep liver which has a large proportion of human cells and eventually hopes to precisely match a sheep to a transplant patient, using their own stem cells to create their own flock of sheep.

The process would involve extracting stem cells from the donor's bone marrow and injecting them into the peritoneum of a sheep's foetus. When the lamb is born, two months later, it would have a liver, heart, lungs and brain that are partly human and available for transplant.

"We would take a couple of ounces of bone marrow cells from the patient,' said Prof Zanjani, whose work is highlighted in a Channel 4 programme tomorrow.

"We would isolate the stem cells from them, inject them into the peritoneum of these animals and then these cells would get distributed throughout the metabolic system into the circulatory system of all the organs in the body. The two ounces of stem cell or bone marrow cell we get would provide enough stem cells to do about ten foetuses. So you don't just have one organ for transplant purposes, you have many available in case the first one fails."

At present 7,168 patients are waiting for an organ transplant in Britain alone, and two thirds of them are expected to die before an organ becomes available.

Scientists at King's College, London, and the North East Stem Cell Institute in Newcastle have now applied to the HFEA, the Government's fertility watchdog, for permission to start work on the chimeras.

But the development is likely to revive criticisms about scientists playing God, with the possibility of silent viruses, which are harmless in animals, being introduced into the human race.

Dr Patrick Dixon, an international lecturer on biological trends, warned: "Many silent viruses could create a biological nightmare in humans. Mutant animal viruses are a real threat, as we have seen with HIV."

Animal rights activists fear that if the cells get mixed together, they could end up with cellular fusion, creating a hybrid which would have the features and characteristics of both man and sheep. But Prof Zanjani said: "Transplanting the cells into foetal sheep at this early stage does not result in fusion at all."

[Stoat]

Esmail D. Zanjani, M.D., Ph.D.

	Phone: (775) 328-1232 Fax: (775) 328-1745 E-mail: zanjani@unr.nevada.edu

Research Interests:

Dr. Zanjani obtained his Ph.D. degree from New York University.  He is currently Professor of Medicine and Senior Research Career Scientist at University of Nevada School of Medicine, VA Medical Center.  He is a member of many national and international societies, which include:  

• American Society of Hematology (ASH)
• International Society for Experimental Hematology (ISEH)
• Central Society for Clinical Research, (CSCR)
• European Hematology Society
• American Society of Gene Therapy (ASGT)

The following is a sampling of awards & honors Dr. Zanjani has received:

• 1979  - Research Career Scientist (Department of Veterans Affairs)
• 1997 - M.E.R.I.T. Award, NHLBI, NIH
• 1998-’02 Member, NIH Hematology I Study Section
• 1998- Associate Editor, Experimental Hematology
• 2000 - Associate Editor, Journal of Hematology and Stem Cell Research
• 2001 - President, Internal Society for Experimental Hematology

Dr. Zanjani’s is the author of 238 papers and 3 book chapters.

*****************************************************************************

Further reading

From 2003:

'Humanised' organs can be grown in animals - 17 December 2003 - New Scientist

[martin_fierro]

And it wants to vote Democrat.

[kittymyrib]

That's nothing. In the US, the government has produced humans who are 100% sheep.

[irishtenor]

Now what human could they have possible gotten... wait, doesn't that look like John Kerry?

How's your kids, John? Not baaad.

[Russ]

ROTFLMAO!!!!!

[Cicero]

Oh, terrific. What are the odds that we can pass any laws against cloning, Frankenstein experimentation, or mix-and-matching between beasts and humans while Nancy Pelosi is in charge?

Is it just me, or does that sheep look very sad?

[Cicero]

Matter of fact, it DOES look just like John Kerry.

[Scotsman will be Free]

The sheep looks like John Francois Kerry.

[Trteamer]

[Moonman62]

This could be a breakthrough for lonely guys.

[aft_lizard]

THe year 1,000,000 AD, earth has been enslaved by Sheeple for 9,997,900 years....

[Porterville]

I heard stories about sheep and shepards... it makes sense they'd want to make them more human... in some sick twisted way.

[brytlea]

Giving new meaning to the word *sheeple*.
susie

[brytlea]

It does have a long face....
susie

[Raycpa]

The organ recipients appear a bit sheepish.

[Porterville]

"killlll meeeeeee.... killllll meeeeee..... killlll meeee... baaaah.... baaaahh...... kill meeeeee..... killl meeeee..... bahhhh.... bahhhh"

[Integrityrocks]

If I had to choose between dying and a 85%sheep/15%human liver. "Saint Peter, unlock the gates."

I am still not entirely sure about human organ transplants and I'm an organ donor!

[wastedyears]

HAHAHAHAHAH!

[irishtenor]

I gave my organ to the neighbors, but they never learned to play it.

[JB in Whitefish]

"Now scientists create a sheep that's 15% human"


....and 100% INSANE...!!!

[theFIRMbss]

>scientists create a sheep that's 15% human

When Dr. Moreau turns cats into Fairuza, I'll place my order . . .

[LongElegantLegs]

Is this a joke?

[isthisnickcool]

Now THAT'S funny!

[Stoat]

Is this a joke?

No, it's real.  Please see this 2003 article in New Scientist for background information.

'Humanised' organs can be grown in animals - 17 December 2003 - New Scientist

[AmericaUnited]

Why bother with all the work and research? It's obvious after the last election that we have at least millions and millions of "human sheep" in this country. Most you could steal their brains and their IQ's would not drop any.

[Popman]

That's nothing. In the US, the government has produced humans who are 100% sheep.

That bears repeating.

Great line

[tet68]

"Well Doctor, you told us to put a rubber on the organ,
but we didn't have one so we put a galosh on the piano."he said "sheepishly".

Bada Boom.

[Lady Jag]

LOL! What a way to get more Dems!

Hey, at least it will change the look of broacast news!

[Soaring Feather]

ROTFLOL! Perfect.

[Leftism is Mentally Deranged]

Many humans are already part sheep when confronted by an oppressive overbearing government. Will this make the sheep vote Democratic? (idea stolen from martin_fierro )

[SandRat]

Let my Sheeple Vote!



Don't eat lamb! They're my babies and 15% Human. If you do you're 15% Cannibal.

[Stoat]

Also see:

Stem-cell work raises hope for organ transplants

 

 

Scott Sady/RGJ file
University of Nevada, Reno professor Dr. Esmail Zanjani poses in front of pens of sheep at the school’s Agricultural Experiment main station in July 2004. The sheep are the subjects of stem-cell research being conducted by a team led by Zanjani.

[drpix]

Can wedding bells be far behind?

[Stoat]

Stem Cells / Cloning ping

[Stoat]

Kidney / Organ Transplant ping

[StormEye]

"Scientists have created the world's first human-sheep chimera - which has the body of a sheep and half-human organs"

I'm sure there are some Arab/Muslims interested in this.

[monkapotamus]

[EGPWS]

And it wants to vote Democrat.

The DNC will take all the votes they can get and as they have proved to be true in the past, will create them if necessary. ; )

[EGPWS]

Hey, at least it will change the look of broadcast news!

Alexander the Great would be glued to the screen with such an appealing broadcaster.

[EGPWS]

Don't eat lamb! They're my babies and 15% Human. If you do you're 15% Cannibal.

Black and white thinking is being proved to be such a sensible mindset.

The gray area thinking sure can be confusing. ; )

It makes one tote a desire for an alfalfa sprouts diet, until alfalfa sprouts are given legs....

[little jeremiah]

I'll get this one later if it's not your cup of tea.

Horrible, like bad sci-fi.

"The demoniac, lost to themselves and have no intelligence, create horrible, unbeneficial works, meant to destroy the world."

16.9 Bhagavad Gita

P.S. - They may have smarts, but no wisdom.

[wagglebee]

Moral Absolutes Ping!

Freepmail wagglebee or little jeremiah to subscribe or unsubscribe from the moral absolutes ping list.

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[wagglebee]

Ping

[BulletBobCo]

I heard of some Iranian goats that are 50% human.

[Stoat]

Thank you very much for pinging your list   :-)

 

[toddlintown]

Sheep? H-m-m. Which part have they replicate?

[Stoat]

Which part have they replicate?

From the posted This Is London article:

"He has already created a sheep liver which has a large proportion of human cells and eventually hopes to precisely match a sheep to a transplant patient, using their own stem cells to create their own flock of sheep.

The process would involve extracting stem cells from the donor's bone marrow and injecting them into the peritoneum of a sheep's foetus. When the lamb is born, two months later, it would have a liver, heart, lungs and brain that are partly human and available for transplant."

[toddlintown]

I was more interested in if it were the part that made it over the fence, or the part that didn't.

[A. Patriot]

Soooo.... would it actually be considered beastiality if.... never mind, just a thought.

[gondramB]

We used to talk in the 70's about the worst thing that could come from cloning - it was that the Chinese might create a cross between humans and animals to use as slaves.

Cutting them up is even beyond the worst case.

We could fix the organ donation problem in a week by paying the family of deceased $1000 - a pittance compared to the $100,000+ the doctors and hospitals make.

The medical profession says it would be unethical to pay volunteers compensation for their organs but suddenly its OK to create human crossbreeds and deny them the most basic rights as we slaughter them for their parts.