Chimeras and the Limits of Casuistry in Jewish Bioethics
نویسنده
چکیده
Chimeras, organisms composed of two genetically distinct types of cells, have now been routinely created in the laboratory: Researchers are experimenting using sheep as a source of human liver transplant, and scientists have developed a line of pigs that have pig blood cells, human blood cells and a combination of both. Investigators have also created mice with a human immune system and are currently developing a strain of mice with human brains. Researchers have also claimed to have developed embryos containing a mixture of human and rabbit DNA, and the British government announced in May 2008 that it will allow the use of embryos derived from human-animal hybrids in medical research. These rapid scientific developments have raised ethical questions which are slowly being addressed (e.g., disposal of embryos, status of chimeras). The most pressing issue, however, is whether the whole enterprise is morally objectionable due to its blurring of the distinction between man and animal, and the problem of the creation of new species. Although much has been written on this issue
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تاریخ انتشار 2011