*scientists want to create human/animal hybrid embryos*

[glitzyglamgirl]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/6230945.stm

Whats your opinions on this?

Personally I think its scary - it could well have positive effects on our health and lives, but......isnt this kind of thing like splitting the atom? Find it in the hands of the wrong kind of government and who knows where it could lead!

 

[Hypnorm]

I dont agree i think they are medling with nature too much, they create vaccines and antibiotics but nature is evoling and becoming resistant and creating more powerful bugs etc.
I know the diseases are horrible i've seen friends die from alheimers.

But i'm not sure on this at all, its almost on the same theme as the human euthanasia debate, which i agree with but that is a whole new thread!

 

[glitzyglamgirl]

I agree they are meddling with nature too much, but hey im pagan of course I would think that lol

Im worried that they seem to think its ok to create hybrids, or Chimeras, that are "only 0.1% animal and 99.9% human" oh thats ok then, we're only 0.1% different genetically to chimps after all!

Ok they may only be embryos and never fully develop, but I believe anything that has the potential to become a human life should not be messed around with. Just seems so wrong to me.

 

[mummykay]

argh, will people stop tryin to play God?!?!?!?!

dont they realise they r makin the diseases more powerful by makin vaccines strong enough for the last evolution of a disease, its jus an ongoing battle!!

 

[Tick-Tock]

What they are doing is not like creating Frankensteins monster but putting the nucleus of a normal human cell into an animal egg that contains no nucleus. This is exactly how dolly the sheep was cloned using the cell from one sheep and putting it in the nucleus free egg of another. This is so that they can create stem cells without needing to make and destroy a human embryo (normally obtained from terminations in fact). I think its a massive step forward in technology and should be embraced as it will provide a much needed source of research material without needing to hurt or even kill any living creature.

Unfortunately the media is very good at over-hyping what happens in science and making it all seem bad and unethical. I hope I have put your minds at rest.

 

[Gaby]

That the thing about science... They let them muck about with stuff like this and THEN ban it once it's discovered. They need to ban certain experiments so they don't have to have huge court cases after about whether or not using it should be allowed. I know it could really benifit us all, but the methods they go through to get the benefits... I don't agree with ANY experiments that involve killing embryos. Life's precious

 

[Tick-Tock]

Sorry to go on about this but its one of my pet-hates, how science is percieved in the public eye.

Experiments that are done ARE subject to a huge amount of regulation and ethical approval before being allowed to procede. The UK has one of the most highly regulated scientific communites, there are comittees for ethics, animal research, genetic modification...... etc. However, the media over-hype a lot of what is going on and also over simplify it so that often it it translated wrongly. Scientists aren't a group of evil meglomanics performing experiments with no thought of the consequences or of any moral obligations, but people who want to make a difference and hopefully make peoples lives better.......

 

[Gaby]

Tick-tock, i didnt mean to come across so anti-science. I did physics and chemistry a levels as well as philosophy and ethics, so i know both sides of it. I know a lot of the experiments are necessary and we wouldn't have half of our medicines without it, but didnt they have to ban cloning after allowing the technique to be developed? Our country is one of the most ethically sound ones, but if scientists want to they can just go over to another country and continue experiments that are banned in this country.

I also agree with mummykay. Viruses and diseases are get worse (some of them) because they develop immunities to our vacinations. Isn't that how MRAS came about? (i think i got that spelling right. the big bad hospital virus). Things like detox will probably one day lead to us having killer viruses in our homes. Also, if we keep killing off all the germs, how are we supposed to build up an immune system? I little bit of dirt never hurt anyone (i hope). I'm all for keeping houses neat and tidy and hygenic, but it doesnt have to be hospital clean unless you have a really young bubba or someone with a poor immune system.


Dont take me too seriously please, for all i know i've got everything completely wrong ^_^ Just posting what i currently know and think

 

[Tick-Tock]

OMG I just re-read my post and I'm really sorry for coming across so bullish. I didn't mean to lecture anyone..... I just love my choice of career and get very passionate about it. Sorry

P.S. I agree with the Detox post. I avoid using it, as well as broad spectrum antibiotics, as they do breed resistance and you are right that is one of the reasons we have MRSA.

 

[glitzyglamgirl]

Hi Tick-tock, I dont think you come across as bullish atall, you obviously know your stuff and its good to get opinions from those in the field

I totally agree with gaby about the immune system thing, Ive believed for years that the slap dash prescriptions of anti-biotics, people dosing themsleves up at the first sign of sniffles, children not being allowed to play outside as much and get dirty, and sterile environments have led to the increase in infections and things like asthma and exzma (aswell as the obvious like pollution but its got to be a factor) how are our immune systems supposed to function if they are never allowed to learn what our bodies have to fight - they simply dont learn that if they are never given the choice.

As for the experiments, it not what they are doing now that scares me (although I do think its questionable) but what it could lead onto in the future - theres so much evidence (ignored by the populace) that soldiers were experimented on with hallucenigenics in the vietnam war to make them better fighters, and other kinds of similiar things (a whoe other thread!) - so I refuse to believe that world leaders place our best interests and health as a priority - how long before the secret trials and experiments producing chimera children engineered to be stronger and quicker? It seems a bit sci-fi now, but advances in science are happening at an alarmingly fast rate, once the techniques are there - believe me they will be used for bad as well as good.

 

[budge]

haven't they already done that?

paul daniels is living proof

 

[Gaby]

haven't they already done that?

paul daniels is living proof

 

[Oliver's mummy]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/6230945.stm

Whats your opinions on this?

Personally I think its scary - it could well have positive effects on our health and lives, but......isnt this kind of thing like splitting the atom? Find it in the hands of the wrong kind of government and who knows where it could lead!

Glam Girl, i totally agree with you, and sorry tick-tock, i know your a scientist and know your stuff, but i am STRONGLY opposed to any medling in nature and people playing God, why would our creator or we have evolved as we have if this wasn't the way it was intended to be!!!

i do know that certain illnesses are terrible and cause people a lot of heart ache, but i believe that humans have caused quite a bit of this themselves by trying to make things better and have 'cultured' a virus or disease for a certain thing and it went ''wrong'' and escaped

soory if no one agrees, but i have very strong personal views on this and i totally agree with what Gaby has said!!!

 

[cassi]

If things like this arnt done then nothing will come of new medicines, cures, scientific facts etc....tests have to be done every day to discover new things, sometimes then end up bad, sometimes good...but look at science and medicine these days compared to 50 years back..i think i prefer now, and that is all a result of ideas and tests...

However i do not agree with animal testing at all

 

[jenna]

what are they going to do if thye dont destroy it after 14days? will a person be made? because im sure human rights wont let them destroy it after that... i cant image a world with half human half rabbits...

 

[glitzyglamgirl]

what are they going to do if thye dont destroy it after 14days? will a person be made? because im sure human rights wont let them destroy it after that... i cant image a world with half human half rabbits...

Good point lol! Its actually a human/cow chimera they want to work on - could be the future of breastfeeding I guess

I have wondered what happens to the embryos, I understand that embryos are more or less jsut a bunch of cells and not "alive" as such, but part of me feels just having the potential to develop into a life gives it some basic human right

 

[jenna]

i was reading the points raised on the bbc news things, and some were valid points and i supose it could be possible for them to cure stuff. And im not against it because of religion. I just think its false hope for people, many have said it probebly wont work anyway... .
Some people said "every ones against this but 1000's would have cosmetic surgery" But you wouldnt take skin or bones or anything from an animal and put them on/in yourself...would you?? i wouldnt!! im not against people working on cures for things...but surely this mixes in with human and animal rights?

 

[glitzyglamgirl]

i was reading the points raised on the bbc news things, and some were valid points and i supose it could be possible for them to cure stuff. And im not against it because of religion. I just think its false hope for people, many have said it probebly wont work anyway... .
Some people said "every ones against this but 1000's would have cosmetic surgery" But you wouldnt take skin or bones or anything from an animal and put them on/in yourself...would you?? i wouldnt!! im not against people working on cures for things...but surely this mixes in with human and animal rights?

I agree, the cosmetic surgery argument is pretty pants really!

Im against this morally and for religious reasons, im not fanatical or anything but I do believe in the power of nature and mans constant struggle to dominate it, a domination that can only end in disaster.

 

[Tick-Tock]

I firstly want to say that no aspect of my research involves animal testing but I couldn't do my job without knowing someone that does.

Unfortunately animal testing is a necessary evil of medical research. Most scientists would wish it wasn't, and are working on ways to find alternatives. I do not believe in testing on animals for cosmetics as it would be very easy to get human volunteers for the tests. But I couldn't use modern medicine at all if I didn't appreciate that some animals have helped develop that treatment. (PS even paracetamol is batch tested on animals, as it is derived from a chemical reaction that could produce a toxic product) I respect them fully for that and thank them too. I also think twice about using medicine, can I get away without using it. If I can I don't take it....

The regulations governing animal research in the UK are the most stringent in the world. In addition in most of the world if a result can be acheived by not testing on animals then animal testing is not allowed.....

I know everyone is entitled to their opinions but I think that they should know the facts. One of the things that the anti-vivisection movement relies on is misinformation... and most scientists are too scared to stand up and tell the reality for fear of themselves or their families being targeted in the most horrible ways. I hope I haven't upset anyone by this post but I would just like people to know the reality before they make up their minds. I will say no more on the matter.[/b]

 

[glitzyglamgirl]

I absolutely respect your opinions on this tick-tock. While I disagree with animal testing I also appreciate the nessecity in some cases and im not foolish enough to believe ALL the hype from the anti-vivs. In an ideal world we wouldnt need to test on animals atall but its a long way off, and if my child needed life saving medication I would take it regardless of how it was tested.

Cosmetics is a whole other ball park and I will never use anything thats animal tested - do they even still do that?

Im like you with the medication thing, I wont take anything unless its absolutely imperitive and always pull out my trusty tub of tiger balm (not made from tiger parts lol) for anything from a headache to a bite, other than painkillers!