Scientists have crossed humans and pigs in a laboratory -- should this be allowed?

There has been little public discussion of the ethics of gene editing.

Scientists has injected a human-pig hybrid into a pig. The experiment is being conducted in California in the hope of growing human organs inside pigs for human transplant.

LOS ANGELES, CA (California Network) -- Scientists from the Salk institute in California he injected a human-pig embryo into a sow. They added pluripotent stem cells into a pig embryo and allowed those cells to develop for up to a month.

While the human cells developed only weakly, they believe they can enhance the process and that the practice is feasible. In the future, they plan on making chimeras, creatures that are mostly pig, but also part human, to harvest the organs for transplant into humans.

There are significant ethical concerns.

Could it be possible that there for a human stem cell to land in the brain of a pig, and giving the pig much greater intelligence and awareness? 

The development of cheap and easy gene editing technology has opened the possibility of extensive genetic manipulation. It's simply a question of pulling and replacing one gene with another in a laboratory and virtually anything becomes possible with practice.

This is disturbing because scientists are interested in crossing humans with various animals and possibly vice versa.

While genetic engineering is regulated, not all nations have the same regulations, or follow the same ethical guidelines.

Unless we speak out against such practices and ban their pursuit, The Island if Doctor Moreau, could become another work of gruesome, dystopian sci fi prophecy.

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