The Science and Ethics of Chimera Research

This is a past event

Part of the Ethics Frontiers Seminar Series

Description

Stem cell-based human/animal chimera research involves the transfer of human stem cells into animal hosts at various stages of development. The purpose of this research is to introduce localized human biological characteristics into laboratory animals to advance stem cell science, developmental biology, and many areas of biomedicine.

Human/animal chimera research has existed without much controversy for decades outside of stem cell research, resulting in, for example, mouse models of human cancer and the human immune system. However, the possibility of acute levels of human/animal mixing in stem cell-based chimeras is of special concern.

Insoo Hyun and M. William Lensch will discuss the scientific and ethical issues raised by stem cell-based chimera research, drawing on years of Dr. Lensch’s chimera research experience and Dr. Hyun’s published work and externally funded bioethics research in this area.

Speakers

Series

In the future, this monthly seminar series will be held on first Thursday afternoons in fall 2019 and spring 2020 and will explore issues at the intersection of ethics, technology, and bioscience.

Scientists, engineers, bioethicists and other invited experts will describe the state of the science regarding brain organoids, editing embryos, engineering living systems, and other controversial frontiers of health-related science and applications.

Discussion will be devoted to gaining both a deeper understanding of what is being done and can be done, while simultaneously examining what should or should not be done, under various circumstances, with an eye toward practical approaches, policies, and ethical responsibilities.

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This series is hosted and organized by the Center for Bioethics at Harvard Medical School and co-sponsored by the Petrie-Flom Center for Health Law Policy, Biotechnology, and Bioethics at Harvard Law School with support from the Oswald DeN. Cammann Fund at Harvard University.