Mckenzi Case

News Analysis #1
1. Science News, Mouse Cells Grow in Rats Cure Diabetes in Mice, January 26, 2017, Tina
Hesman Saey. https://www.sciencenews.org/article/mouse-cells-grown-rats-cure-diabetes-mice?
mode=topic&context=69

2. Scientists believe that growing an organ from species in another one is a great strategy for
curing some diseases. Scientist injected rat stem cells into mice embryos, and the bodies
excepted it, growing functional organs. Mice don't have gallbladders, but by putting the rat stem
cells into the mice embryos, they were able to develop gallbladders. By doing this experiment
scientist were able to discover that the host environment has a significant control over what
happens to the stem cells. They were also able to discover that it may not be possible to recreate
in lab dishes the mechanical processes, chemical signals, and other conditions that an organ
needs in order to develop properly. They stepped it up by experimenting on pigs by injecting
human stem cells into pig embryos. They discovered that human cells interfere with normal pig
development. They know that more work is needed to improve the growth of human cells into in
pig embryos. The goal of this research is to be able to use hybrid, or chimeric, animals to
produce human organ for transplant.

3. The information and research from this article has its advantages as well as its disadvantages.
It would be a huge advantage to society due to the fact that diseases and cancers could be cured
with the information contained in the article.. Its hard to be able to provide an organ for all the
people that are in need of one. Sometimes organs aren't always available at the time. By being
able to use hybrid, or chimeric, animals to produce human organs it would definitely make it
easier to provide organs for those in need of one. This would bring relief to so many people that
suffer from the effects cancer and diseases have on their life as well as their health. On the other
hand it would be scary to think that animals would be able to have the abilities to do things that
humans can. Such as the brain being able to process and solve problems that humans are able to
do. Or even just the idea that animals would be able to produce a human baby is a scary thought.
Which a lot of people are thinking too. This is definitely a controversial topic.

4. The U.S. National Institutes of Health is in disagreement with the research of this topic. They
currently has a temporary prohibition on funding such research. As of August, NIH had
intentions to lift the funding ban pending finalization of the policy governing such research, but
it has not yet been finalized. Proposed Rules would expand prohibitions on this topic.
Considering issues of ethics towards the animals and animal welfare makes me take their doubts
seriously. It would be fair to animals, and it definitely goes against ethics. It gives the impression
that we consider human lives to be more important the non- humans lives. Which isn't right
because the basic functions of society and the ecosystem rely on animals.
5. Most the scientist mentioned in the article are affiliated with a university. Such as Hiromitsu
Nakauchi. He is a stem cell biologist at Stanford University school of medicine. His colleagues
were also apart of their experiment dealing with a mouse that had grown a rat pancreas. Another
scientist that performed an experiment related to the topic of the article is Juan Carlos Izpisua
Belmonte, a cell biologist at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies. Belmonte and colleagues
felt that there was still a lot of research to do to make their conclusions more accurate and
effective. I feel that the scientists in these articles didn't let their conclusions be altered.

6. I think it's crazy how much science has evolved over time. Its cool to know that we have to
abilities to allow scientist to try things such as growing human organs in animals. I had no clue
something like that would be possible nor would it ever be thought of. Sometimes it's scary to
think how advanced technology and science is today and how it will affect society in the future.
There are so many people that suffer from cancer or diseases and if this really worked it would
save lives. Its sad to think about though. It is unfair to the animals that we are using them to
support human lives. There are many things that animals suffer from due to humans. And this
topic does give the impression that human lives are more important than animals which goes
against morals and ethics.

7. The reporter did a great job at giving some background information for the article. I knew
what the topic was right off the bat. The first sentence in the article says, Growing human
organs in other animals is a small step closer to reality. By the reporter saying this it tells the
reader exactly what they're getting themselves into. She also tells the reader about a lot of
different scientists and explains their findings for their experiments. In conclusion I didn't have
to know much background info on this topic. It was pretty self explanatory. The reporter said
what was needed and it made sense.