New rules urged for human gene experiments

LONDON - Scientific experiments that insert human genes or cells into animals need new rules to ensure they are ethically acceptable and do not lead to the creation of "monsters", a group of leading British researchers said on Friday.

While humanizing animals in the name of medical research offers valuable insights into the way human bodies work and diseases develop, clear regulations are needed to make sure the humanization of animals is carefully controlled.

Extreme scenarios, such as inserting brain cells into primates to create talking apes, may remain science fiction, but researchers around the world are constantly pushing boundaries. Chinese scientists have already introduced human stem cells into goat fetuses, and US researchers have studied the idea of creating a mouse with human brain cells though they have not actually done so.