Chinese Researchers Create World’s First Primate Chimera From Two DNA Sets
Scientists in China have achieved a significant milestone in experimental research with the successful creation of a live birth monkey chimera, featuring two sets of DNA. The stem cells from a cynomolgus monkey, also known as a crab-eating or long-tailed macaque, were combined with a genetically distinct embryo from the same species to produce the groundbreaking results.
The monkey chimera, which lived for 10 days before being euthanized, represents the first live birth of a primate chimera created with stem cells, as detailed in a proof-of-concept study published in the scientific journal Cell. This notable achievement allows researchers to gain insights into potential medical applications and the preservation of endangered species.
The researchers infused the monkey’s cells with a green fluorescent protein to enable the determination of which tissues had grown out of the stem cells. This created a substantially chimeric monkey, with a varying but relatively high ratio of cells that grew out of the stem cells throughout its body. “It is encouraging that our live birth monkey chimera had a big contribution (of stem cells) to the brain, suggesting that indeed this approach should be valuable for modeling neurodegenerative diseases,” shared study coauthor Miguel Esteban.
Furthermore, monkey chimeras could have enormous value for species conservation, as the researchers explained. “If there is a contribution of the donor cells from the endangered species to the germ line, one could envisage that through breeding animals of these species could be produced,” Esteban added.
While the concept of chimeric creatures originated from Greek myths, chimeric lab mice have been effectively used in biomedical research for decades. However, researchers believe that pursuing efforts with monkeys is valuable due to their closer evolutionary relationship with humans. “Mice don’t reproduce many aspects of human disease, for their physiology being too different from ours. In contrast, human and monkey are close evolutionary, so human diseases can be more faithfully modeled in monkeys,” noted senior study author Zhen Liu.
The ethical implications of human-animal chimeras raise concerns, especially as scientists explore the potential applications for addressing organ transplant demands. Liu emphasized that it would be crossing an ethical red line to attempt producing a monkey-human chimera beyond early embryonic stages of development.
While the study on monkey chimeras presents exciting possibilities, some experts urge caution. “This is an important study, but I wouldn’t consider it’s a breakthrough as the chimeras generated are not viable,” stated Jun Wu, an associate professor in molecular biology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.
The research, which involved culturing nine stem cell lines obtained from cells removed from seven-day-old monkey embryos, led to the subsequent production of substantially chimeric monkeys. The live births emerged from 12 pregnancies and involved the infusion of the monkey cells with green fluorescent protein for tissue determination.
Despite the scientific breakthroughs and potential medical applications, the use of monkeys in research has drawn criticism for ethical and animal welfare concerns. The research team stressed that they followed Chinese laws and international guidelines governing the use of nonhuman primates in scientific research.
The emergence of the world’s first live birth monkey chimera opens up new possibilities for the conservation of endangered species and the development of medical research models. While raising important ethical considerations, the study represents a significant advancement in scientific understanding and offers potential insights into addressing pressing challenges in the fields of medicine and conservation.
The story was originally published by CNN and reflects the views and opinions of the author.