Pigs with human kidneys? Brain-powered computer chips? Science is creating new kinds of living things – and our moral understanding needs to catch up fast.
Of the many qualities that make the zebrafish a model organism, the fact that it shares 70% of the genes humans have makes it an ideal candidate for developmental biology research.
In June, the possibility of synthetic embryos was announced at a conference. This allows some research to extend beyond the 14-day rule, which restricts experimentation on embryos beyond this period.
Zebrafish melanocytes cause diseases similar to those in people when they don’t work properly. Studying how they regenerate after injury could lead to new treatments for hair color loss and vitiligo.
Millions of people worldwide are exposed via soil and water to arsenic, whether naturally occurring or related to pollution. Chronic exposure is linked to the formation of cancer stem cells.
Huanhuan Joyce Chen, University of Chicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering and Abhimanyu Thakur, University of Chicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering
Many tumors have cancer stem cells that help them grow and evade treatments. Differentiation therapy forces these cells to mature, stopping growth with less toxicity than traditional treatments.
While a strong immune response is essential to fight against viral infection, an immune system that continues to stay active long after the virus has been cleared can lead to lung damage.
The International Society for Stem Cell Research’s newly released guidelines aim to address new ethical challenges posed by stem cell advances such as model embryos and human-monkey hybrid embryos.
Medical research to benefit people is first conducted in animals. Creating a new biomedical model by inserting human immune cells into pigs may lead to new insights and treatments.
Professor - Emerging Technologies (Stem Cells) at The University of Melbourne and Group Leader - Stem Cell Ethics & Policy at the Murdoch Children's Research Institute, The University of Melbourne
Executive Director of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Electromaterials Science and Director of the Intelligent Polymer Research Institute, University of Wollongong