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posted by Fnord666 on Wednesday February 01 2017, @01:07AM   Printer-friendly
from the well-rats dept.

A few days ago, SN ran a story on human-pig chimeras.

Here's another story about mouse-rat chimeras providing insight on a problem that's plaguing many of us... diabetes and other pancreas-related issues.

From the story:

Growing human organs in other animals is a small step closer to reality.

While human-animal chimera work is still in its infancy (and faces ethical and funding hurdles, see sidebar), hybrids of rats and mice are already hinting that growing an organ from one species in another is a viable strategy for curing some diseases. Researchers report January 25 in Nature that they grew mouse pancreases in rats. Mouse insulin-producing cells were extracted from the rat-grown organs and transplanted into diabetic mice, curing their diabetes. Transplanted cells kept the mice's blood sugar normal for more than a year even though the mice were not given immune-suppressing drugs to prevent rejection after the first five days following the transplant. That finding raises the hope that animal-grown organs tailored to individual patients could be transplanted without fear of rejection.

Hopefully, these guys succeed!


Original Submission

Related Stories

Scientists Grow Sheep Embryos Containing Human Cells 8 comments

Breakthrough as scientists grow sheep embryos containing human cells

Growing human organs inside other animals has taken another step away from science-fiction, with researchers announcing they have grown sheep embryos containing human cells.

Scientists say growing human organs inside animals could not only increase supply, but also offer the possibility of genetically tailoring the organs to be compatible with the immune system of the patient receiving them, by using the patient's own cells in the procedure, removing the possibility of rejection. [...] "Even today the best matched organs, except if they come from identical twins, don't last very long because with time the immune system continuously is attacking them," said Dr Pablo Ross from the University of California, Davis, who is part of the team working towards growing human organs in other species.

[...] Ross and colleagues have recently reported a major breakthrough for our own species, revealing they were able to introduce human stem cells into early pig embryos, producing embryos for which about one in every 100,000 cells were human. These chimeras – a term adopted from Greek mythology – were only allowed to develop for 28 days.

Now, at this week's meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in Austin, Texas, the team have announced that they have managed a similar feat with sheep embryos, achieving an even higher ratio of human to animal cells. "About one in 10,000 cells in these sheep embryos are human," said Ross.

Japan is expected to lift a ban on growing human organs inside of animals.

Here's another article about pig-to-human organ transplants.

Also at The Telegraph.

Related: Surgeons Smash Records With Pig-to-Primate Organ Transplants
Human-Animal Chimeras are Gestating on U.S. Research Farms
Pig Hearts Survive in Baboons for More than Two Years
NIH Plans To Lift Ban On Research Funds For Human-Animal Chimera Embryos
Human-Pig 'Chimera Embryos' Detailed
Rat-Mouse Chimeras Offer Hope for Diabetics
eGenesis Bio Removes PERV From Pigs Using CRISPR


Original Submission

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  • (Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday February 01 2017, @02:50AM

    by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday February 01 2017, @02:50AM (#461529)

    I was just watching a video of a rat eat this chick out. Mousers must like the protein.
    ...Or maybe it's the cheese.

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday February 01 2017, @08:19AM

    by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday February 01 2017, @08:19AM (#461581)

    And now [type 2] diabetics can literally be part pig.

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday February 01 2017, @08:44AM

      by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday February 01 2017, @08:44AM (#461590)

      I define pig as "eats a lot of corn", so they both already are in my eyes.

      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday February 01 2017, @01:06PM

        by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday February 01 2017, @01:06PM (#461633)

        I define pig as "eats a lot of doughnuts", so they both already are in my eyes.

        FTFY