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Chinese Scientists Produced Monkeys With Added Human Brain Genes That Are Smarter

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Millions of years ago, human intelligence evolved in such a marvelous way that it led to even bigger brains and new abilities. This evolution brought about the creation of civilization as we know it. While our primate cousins stayed in the trees, we stood upright, plowed the land, and created the world around us, modifying everything to our liking and convenience.

But how and why did we get smarter while other primates remained the same? This has been a looming question haunting scientists who are determined to find the answers. That is why scientists in southern China have recently added a human brain gene to the genome of rhesus monkeys, in a bid to learn more about the way the human brain develops. The gene is called MC HP 1, or microcephalin. It’s involved in regulating the fetal growth of the brain and is suspected of playing a role in shaping human intelligence.

The transgenic animals they created do seem smarter, they say. Their brains took longer to develop – more like those of human children – and they also exhibited better memory skills, and faster reaction times, compared to their unmodified peers. “This was the first attempt to understand the evolution of human cognition using a transgenic monkey model,” Bing Su, the geneticist at the Kunming Institute of Zoology who led the effort, told Technology Review.

Altering monkey brain genesThe team added the human brain gene by exposing the monkey embryos to a virus carrying the human microcephalin. This method generated 11 transgenic rhesus monkeys carrying the human gene. However, in the end, only five actually survived. “Our findings demonstrated that transgenic nonhuman primates (excluding ape species) have the potential to provide important – and potentially unique – insights into basic questions of what actually makes humans unique, as well as into disorders and clinically relevant phenotypes,” the researchers wrote.

The study was published in a Beijing journal called National Science Review. It was unable to find a publisher in the west. There were aspects of the study that would not be allowed in countries with stricter regulations, for example, the US. Several western scientists called the experiments in the study reckless and said they questioned the ethics of genetically modifying primates.

James Sikela, a geneticist who carries out comparative studies among primates at the University of Colorado is concerned that the experiment shows disregard for the animals and will soon lead to more extreme modifications. He said: “The use of transgenic monkeys to study human genes linked to brain evolution is a very risky road to take. It is a classic slippery slope issue and one that we can expect to recur as this type of research is pursued.”

It is increasingly difficult to use primates in research in Europe and the US. On the other hand, China has rushed to apply the latest high-tech DNA tools to the animals. It was the first country to create monkeys altered with the gene-editing tool CRISPR as well as produce clones. “It is troubling that the field is steamrolling along in this manner,” said Sikela.

Transgenic monkeys raise some unusual questions about animal rights. Jacqueline Glover, a University of Colorado bioethicist, thinks that “to humanize them is to cause harm. Where would they live and what would they do? Do not create a being that can’t have a meaningful life in any context.” Su, the creator of the monkeys, says that monkeys and humans last shared an ancestor 25 million years ago, which therefore alleviates the ethical concerns. “Although their genome is close to ours, there are also tens of millions of differences,” he says. Meaning, the monkeys will not become anything more than monkeys. “Impossible by introducing only a few human genes,” he says.

Martin Styner, a University of North Carolina computer scientist and specialist in MRI who trained Chinese students to extract brain volume data from MRI images, said: “I don’t think that is a good direction. Now we have created this animal which is different than it is supposed to be. When we do experiments, we have to have a good understanding of what we are trying to learn, to help society, and that is not the case here. They are trying to understand brain development. And I don’t think they are getting there.”

Monkeys modified with human genesOne of the issues is that it is hard to reach firm conclusions about whether the transgenic monkeys really differ from normal monkeys since there are just five modified monkeys to observe and test. Another issue is that genetically modified monkeys are expensive to create and care for.

Su agreed that 5 monkeys was a limitation. His solution is to make more monkeys. He is also currently testing new brain evolution genes. The one he’s focused on finding out more about now is SRGAP2C a DNA variant that arose about two million years ago which has been dubbed the “humanity switch” and the “missing genetic link” for its likely role in the emergence of human intelligence. Su has been adding this gene to the new batch of monkeys but it is too soon to say what the results are.

The post Chinese Scientists Produced Monkeys With Added Human Brain Genes That Are Smarter appeared first on Intelligent Living.


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