
Human-sheep hybrids pave way for diabetes cure and mass organ transplants - evo_9
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/02/17/worlds-first-human-sheep-hybrids-pave-way-diabetes-cure-mass/
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JoeAltmaier
Other than the 'yuck' factor, what's the real objection to all this? Have
folks read too much Science Fiction where it all goes terribly wrong? Maybe
it'll be fine. Grow organs in sheep, use them on ill people, folks get better,
have a mutton dinner to celebrate!

Seriously, we wear sheep's wool and skin, crack chicken embryos into our
batter to make it bake up nice and firm, rub animal oils into our skin and
armpits to smell and look better. But use them for real medicine and suddenly
"Whoa there! Lets think about this some more?"

I'm all for continuing until there's a problem, which probably won't ever
happen.

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docdeek
I’m equal parts fascinated and concerned about this sort of thing. It’s
incredible what science is capable of while, at the same time, I wonder if
there are adequate limits on such advances. These researchers seem to be
responsible (limiting the growth to a certain number of days, applying for
permission to extend that limit in the future etc.) but I have a feeling that
somewhere there is a scientist whose professional ethics are a little less
robust.

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adrianN
What are your ethical concerns about this experiment? I don't think sheep with
a human pancreas need to be treated differently from sheep with a normal
pancreas, ethically speaking. We're not talking about fiddling with the
sheep's brains.

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docdeek
I guess it is more a feeling that it'll start with a pancreas and then we'll
figure out a way to make other organs, and maybe some human life after that.
Perhaps it shouldn't concern me - if I would be fine with a pancreas or a
kidney grown in an animal, why not (eventually) a human life in an animal? -
but it is still a worry for me right now.

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matte_black
It would be amazing to generate entirely new organs that don’t exist, to give
humans capabilities they never had. I’m all for it.

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Piskvorrr
Building hardware is the easy part. Making it play nice with the firmware
(and, um, writing the firmware) is the hard part - we haven't been able to do
that well with silicon, so far.

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khazhoux
There exists a future where you could conceivably eat a delicious lamb shank,
while wearing a supple lambskin jacket, while your implanted pancreas and
kidney process the meal, and all are sourced from the same animal.

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roryisok
The same _individual_ animal? Because that seems kind of weird for reasons I
can't quite put my finger on.

I guess it would be less wasteful though. If you're going to butcher a man-pig
to steal his pancreas you might as well use the leftovers. Would save
hospitals money on catering too.

You know what, I've thought about it and I'm all for it

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shezi
Even today, very little is wasted when animals are slaughtered. And products
made from animals find their way into a surprising number of end products.
Here's some indication of whats going on from the Daily Mail (2009):
[http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1217794/From-...](http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1217794/From-
bullets-bread-beer-tambourines-toothpaste--plus-180-things-pig.html)

~~~
roryisok
I was joking, but joking aside, please don't use the daily mail as a source of
data. People in the US might not realise it but The Daily Mail is like a
tabloid version of fox news but with more racism.

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tmsldd
Wondering... and if the cells also replace the brain and create a human-like
intelligent sheep..

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Piskvorrr
We've had talk of _sheeple_ for decades now. Nothing new, methinks.

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te_chris
I just can't help but think of the MaddAddam trilogy
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MaddAddam](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MaddAddam)

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jagger27
Sheepoons.

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dghf
Chimeras rather than hybrids, surely?

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ianai
You know, or just start eating Whole Foods and plant based. Mayb a little
cardio too.

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lgils
Type 1 diabetes is a genetic, autoimmune disease in which the the pancreas'
ability to produce insulin is destroyed. Sadly, a little cardio won't help.

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LawnDart1
Wake up Sheeple (Sorry, I had to)

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taneq
OHGODOHGODOHGOD _why did you do that?_

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aszantu
swap your carbs for fat and see what happens when you're diabetic already :|

