"Algernon", or "NIMH Mice" I couldnt decide on a title, lol...

To explore further how the human astrocytes affect intelligence, memory and learning, Goldman is already grafting the cells into rats, which are more intelligent than mice. "We've done the first grafts, and are mapping distributions of the cells," he says.

Although this may sound like the work of science fiction – think Deep Blue Sea, where researchers searching for an Alzheimer's cure accidently create super-smart sharks, or Algernon, the lab mouse who has surgery to enhance his intelligence, or even the pigoons, Margaret Atwood's pigs with human stem cells – and human thoughts – Goldman is quick to dismiss any idea that the added cells somehow make the mice more human.

"This does not provide the animals with additional capabilities that could in any way be ascribed or perceived as specifically human," he says. "Rather, the human cells are simply improving the efficiency of the mouse's own neural networks. It's still a mouse."

However, the team decided not to try putting human cells into monkeys. "We briefly considered it but decided not to because of all the potential ethical issues," Goldman says.

Enard agrees that it could be difficult to decide which animals to put human brain cells into. "If you make animals more human-like, where do you stop?" he says.

Mathematically, if a mouse has human cells in it, and the one next to it does not, doesnt that make the first on more human than its neighbor?

:lol:...

http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn26639-the-smart-mouse-with-the-halfhuman-brain.html?cmpid=RSS%7CNSNS%7C2012-GLOBAL%7Conline-news#.VIGoczHF_iu

This could be useful for treating diseases in which the myelin sheath is damaged, such as multiple sclerosis, says Goldman, and he has already applied for permission to treat MS patients with the glial progenitor cells, and hopes to start a trial in 12 to 15 months.

Jestor wrote: However, the team decided not to try putting human cells into monkeys. "We briefly considered it but decided not to because of all the potential ethical issues," Goldman says.

Enard agrees that it could be difficult to decide which animals to put human brain cells into. "If you make animals more human-like, where do you stop?" he says.

I think this is perhaps worth another thread.. but anyway... why should it be ethical to do this to rats but not monkeys?
Or do we look at monkeys and think that they act too much like us, and we don't like to forcibly test on humans.. guilt there?

Mathematically, if a mouse has human cells in it, and the one next to it does not, doesnt that make the first on more human than its neighbor?

:lol:...

Maybe the question should be, do human cells make the mouse less a mouse? In which case I'd say probably not..

Edan wrote:

Jestor wrote: However, the team decided not to try putting human cells into monkeys. "We briefly considered it but decided not to because of all the potential ethical issues," Goldman says.

Enard agrees that it could be difficult to decide which animals to put human brain cells into. "If you make animals more human-like, where do you stop?" he says.

I think this is perhaps worth another thread.. but anyway... why should it be ethical to do this to rats but not monkeys?
Or do we look at monkeys and think that they act too much like us, and we don't like to forcibly test on humans.. guilt there?

I just read this back and realised that it could seem that I am implying that I approve of testing on all animals... I don't.