Research centers in the United States are now beginning the initial stages of combining human cells with animal embryos with the aim of eventually creating viable organs for transplant recipients. Thus far, all pregnancies achieved with such chimera embryos have not been brought to term.

For the time being, the federal government has declined funding for these grotesque experiments. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) recently announced that, until it can further review policies on embryonic animal and human combinations, federal grants will not be issued.

According to Carrie D. Wolinetz the Associate Director for Science Policy at the NIH, part of the reason the feds have decided to forgo such funding is because of “ethical and animal welfare considerations.” Other scientists, such as Dr. Sean Wu from Stanford University School of Medicine, are concerned about public opinion that putting human brain cells into animals might give them human cognition.

While current research may not show direct evidence of this, there have been at least two studies that show an increase in mouse intelligence after having human cells implanted into rodent brains. Incredibly, under current NIH policy, experiments intending to enhance animal intelligence with human brain cell implants would still be eligible for funding because they do not involve embryos.

Of course, the controversial research centers engaged in the creation of human-animal chimeras are still able to receive financial support through private sources. Although creating human organs for transplant may be an admirable goal, mixing animal species with humans is not. Left to their own devices, some U.S. researchers are certain to violate fundamental moral boundaries.

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