The Ethics of Human-Animal Embryos By Shalini Sellam, U5 Aleph We’ve all heard the debate on stem cells and discarded embryos - should we protect them to save a life, or use them for research to save even more? - yet it seems this question may have to give way to another; one that fifty years ago, nobody would have seen coming. Animals and humans are two separate species: but what if they weren’t? A chimera is a human-animal hybrid. Scientists have not created these yet, nor do they intend to, but what they have come up with is called a cytoplasmic hybrid embryo. It is created by injecting a human nucleus into an animal embryo and is kept alive for 14 days for research purposes. In a cell, there are two types of DNA; most of it is stored in the nucleus, while some is found as mitochondrial DNA, therefore these embryos are 99% human, biologically, and since May 2008, legally considered humans. Now this research on its own could be considered in the same vein as stem cell research: opposed by some for religious and ethical reasons, but altogether in support of humanity and continuing scientific research. However, this strand of bioethics involves cross species combinations. Many are outraged at what scientists believe is acceptable, and many more are worried as to how this will escalate in the near future. The main reason for the opposition is, as expected, the idea of “playing God”. These beings are essentially motherless, created solely for the benefit of science, and while this may seem like a step towards saving lives (such as researching cures for genetic disorders), many religious bodies have expressed their concern. It seems wrong to create these embryos and not allow them to grow into proper humans – thus denying them the chance at a full life. As well as this, the idea of combining species may look unnatural. Many argue it doesn’t take both human and animal rights into account.
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“…the creation of an animal-human being represents a natural border that has been violated…” --President of the Pontifical Academy for Life
