Chinese Scientists Create First Substantially Chimeric Monkey Using Two Sets of Stem Cells

Experimental procedure could pave way for advancements in medical research and conservation of endangered species, while sparking ethical concerns over animal welfare.

Chinese scientists have pioneered a groundbreaking experiment leading to the creation of a substantially chimeric monkey - an organism composed of two sets of DNA - by fusing pluripotent stem cells from two genetically distinct embryos from the same monkey species. The artificially-formed monkey, which exhibited varying proportions of stem cell-derived cells in its body, lived for 10 days.
The study emphasizes potential benefits to medical research, particularly in the modeling of neurodegenerative diseases and species conservation. The contribution of stem cells to the brain was prominent, suggesting the method could be useful for examining such diseases. The approach might also help in the conservation of endangered primate species through cross-species chimeras.
The researchers highlighted that it is unethical to attempt the production of a monkey-human chimera beyond early embryonic stages. However, they indicated the future possibility of creating partially human chimeras to aid in organ transplant demand.
However, the viability of these chimeras remains challenging and the experiment also failed to prove that the stem cells could be inheritable by offspring - an important step in generating disease models for research. Unresolved ethical issues revolving around animal welfare and the high mortality rate in the process have drawn criticism.
The concept of creating a monkey chimera might offer possibilities for better studying complex diseases that are difficult to test accurately in other animals due to physiological differences. Consequently, monkeys can model humans more faithfully in medical studies.

ScienceDaily

Scientific American

Futurism

South China Morning Post