In a notable scientific advance, Chinese researchers together with Spanish doctor Miguel Ángel Esteban have achieved an unprecedented milestone in the field of biology. In the Shanghai laboratory, they achieved the first birth of a chimeric monkey. It is an organism made up of cells from two different monkey embryos. This achievement marks a significant advance in the creation of macaque chimeras, representing a historic milestone for science.
What are chimeras?
Chimeras, as these hybrids are called in the scientific community, take their name from the mythological monster that had characteristics of multiple animals. Like, for example, an animal that combines the head of a lion, the belly of a goat and the tail of a dragon. In other words, it illustrates the combination of different characteristics in a single organism.
These hybrids have cells or tissues derived from more than one zygote, that is, they have a mixed genetic composition of two or more genetically different individuals. In the scientific context, chimeras are created through genetic manipulation techniques. They fuse embryonic cells from different species to study biological processes or to investigate medical therapies.
Birth of the first chimeric monkey
The chimeric monkey was born in a Chinese laboratory in Shanghai. He had cells marked with green fluorescent protein in various parts of his body. Using human stem cells labeled with green fluorescent protein, the scientists injected these cells into monkey embryos. As a result, twelve pregnant females gave birth to six live offspring, one of which showed a high percentage of chimerism in several organs.
The researchers managed to obtain cell lines capable of multiplying in the laboratory from cells from embryos that were only seven days old. As a result, a newborn monkey showed a high percentage of chimerism in various organs, reaching between 21% and 92% depending on the tissue.
This represents a significant advance in creating chimeras between humans and primates. According to Esteban, this achievement allows us to distinguish a true chimeric animal, with an average of 67% human cells in its composition.
It is a breakthrough in science that highlights the potential of international collaboration in scientific research and establishes a solid foundation for future studies in the field of molecular biology and genetics. Without a doubt, this achievement will mark a before and after in the way we understand and manipulate life in the laboratory.
It can be of great help in medical research and also in the conservation of endangered species. Although creating chimeras poses ethical and scientific challenges, it also offers exciting opportunities to better understand diseases and develop effective treatments.
It represents a relevant advance in research on human-animal chimeras. Although these types of experiments open new possibilities in regenerative medicine and the understanding of human diseases, they also pose ethical and practical challenges that need to be carefully considered.
