Exploring the Ethics of Creating Chimeric 'Monkey-Human' Embryos: Could Xenotransplantation, the Treatment of Anencephalic Infants, or Synthetic Human Embryos Provide Insights?

Abstract

Induced human extended pluripotent stem cells (hEPSC) have been injected into monkey blastocysts to create chimeric embryos. Chimera research is a scientific technique which seeks to develop human organs for transplantation, but it has raised concerns regarding human cells contributing to the brain formation of nonhuman animals. This article considered whether brain development should guide ethical considerations on chimera research by investigating the morality of terminating live anencephalic infants to procure their organs. It found that identifying the presence or absence of a human biological developmental programme helps to determine the correct ethics of chimera research, and that experimentation with this programme should be prohibited. However, the formation of chimeric embryos with induced hEPSC does not experiment with a human biological developmental programme. This determination was made after investigating the developmental potential of synthetic embryos created with induced pluripotent stem cells. Based upon these findings, this article cautiously recommends that chimera research only be permitted to continue with induced hEPSC.