Illinois project creates first insulin-producing cow

[skb]

An unassuming brown bovine from the south of Brazil has made history as the first transgenic cow capable of producing human insulin in her milk. The advancement, led by researchers from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the Universidade de São Paulo, could herald a new era in insulin production, one day eliminating drug scarcity and high costs for people living with diabetes.

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[bigskygal]

Holy cow! No disrespect meant skb! That is amazing!  But I think I am uncomfortable of altering embryos of living things to serve a purpose, needed as it may be, for man. When/where does it stop?

I know using animals has been going on a long time sheesh, my mom had a pig's valve put in her heart in the early 80's but that is a natural body part of the pig, not something genetically altered to be there, that wasn't there before.

I think science is moving a bit fast for my brain to absorb all these new "possibilities" this one troubles me in a way I can't quite explain.

[skb]

I agree.

[walkerwally1]

I'm not so sure that it is something I am opposed to.  We raise animals for food and always have, it is how we were evolved.  We use mice and other animals for experimenting with to develop ways to discover what may be a benefit for our own needs.  It is just something we need to do for our own survival.  I also have an artificial heart valve and it is called a "pig valve" but it is actually not the pigs valve but is made from the flesh of the pig's heart.  I think the cow would be a lot happier than being on the barbecue.

[bigskygal]

As I said, I was having a hard time verbalizing my unease about this use of animals. I don't have an issue with consuming animal flesh, or even lab testing on them for production of new medications. As far as I know these studies are done on a natural born mouse or whatever animal is used.

This study goes one step too far for me in that they are genetically altering the animal in the embryo stage basically creating a "new type" of cow. Then going further to clone that successful female result and hopefully create an altered male to mate with that female to reproduce an altered herd of cows. Thus resulting in what I suppose could almost be a new species of cow that creates insulin.

My unease is what/who is next? If this actually works who's to say what new "need" will arise requiring more genetically alterations? It just seems like a dangerous road to go down...