CHINESE scientists have “gene hacked” a group of monkeys to make them smarter – in an experiment branded “reckless” by experts.
The experiment involved exposing monkeys to human genes that affect the development of our brains.
In a study published in the National Science Review, a team of Chinese scientists revealed how they successfully edited a human gene into rhesus monkeys.
The human gene microcephalin (MCPH1) is expressed during the “foetal stage” of our brain’s development, and has been linked to brain size.
Researchers exposed a group of monkey embryos to viruses containing the gene.
This led to the development of monkey brain cells resembling human development.
“This was the first attempt to understand the evolution of human cognition using a transgenic monkey model,” said Bing Su, a geneticist at Kunming Institute of Zoology who led the research.
Human brains generally take longer to develop compared to other primates, which may be partly why we’re smarter.
Researchers showed that monkeys could be gene-edited to have similar traits.
The “transgenic” monkeys also appeared to have better short-term memory.
Modified monkeys performed better on memory tests involving colours and block pictures.
However, although brain development took longer, there was no difference in actual brain size.
According to the MIT Technology Review, the experiments have been slammed by scientists – including one who worked on the study.
Scientists branded the experiments as “reckless”, and “questioned the ethics of genetically modyifying primates”.
“The use of transgenic monkeys to study human genes linked to brain evolution is a very risky road to take,” said James Sikela, of the University of Colorado.
“It is a classic slippery slope issue and one that we an expect to recur as this type of research is pursued.”
Here's what you need to know...
Chinese scientists are trying to unlock the secrets behind human intelligence.
We know that our distant ancestors’ brains outgrew similar species in terms of size and power.
And to find out why, experts are investigating monkeys – and typically chimpanzees, which have genes about 98% similar to ours.
As part of the process to discover the similarities and differences between monkeys, Su introduced monkey embryos with a virus carrying the human version of microcephalin.
This process created 11 monkeys, five or which survived to take part in a series of brain measurements.
All of the monkeys have anywhere between two and nine copies of the human gene in their bodies.
But the experiments have unsurprisingly sparked controversy.
“You just go to the Planet of the Apes immediately in the popular imagination,” said Jacqueline Glover, of the University of Colorado.
“To humanise them is to cause harm. Where would they live and what would they do? Do not create a being that can’t have a meaningful life in any context.”
And speaking to The Sun, an RSPCA spokesperson said: “Monkeys are highly sentient individuals, capable of experiencing suffering and distress.
“They continue to pay a heavy price for human curiosity. There are so many ethical, animal welfare and scientific issues associated with this research which appear to have simply been overlooked.
“The increasing creation and use of genetically altered primates is a very concerning development and the public will rightly be asking where the ethical controls are on this type of research.
“They will also be questioning whether there are any limits on what someone, somewhere will be prepared to do to animals in the name of science.”
Last year, a Chinese scientist claimed he had created the world’s first gene-edited babies that resist the HIV virus.
The same scientist also says that a second woman is pregnant with a “gene-edited baby”.
China-based researchers have also created “monstrous” monkey clones gene-edited with diseases – with hopes of creating an entire “population” of sickly creatures for animal testing.
Do you think China is going too far with gene editing? Let us know in the comments!
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