The Impact Of Chimeras
Social Impact
For such complex organisms, humans are actually quite simple creatures. Small occurences like changes in the weather can completely destroy plans we have made, and because of these delays, humans cannot be as efficient as they would like to be.
Such delays in human life are diseases such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's. With the advancement of human-animal chimeric research, scientists believe that the cure for these diseases is just around the corner. "The development of human/animal chimeras would allow research projects that would, for example, splice human cells into the brains of mice in order to test a new generation of therapies for Parkinson's and Alzheimer's," (Citation 15). About one percent of the world's population that is over the age of fifty has Parkinson's disease, and with the medicine obtained from chimeric research, scientists believe these people could be as productive and efficient as their colleagues and piers.
Unfortunately for chimeric researchers, those opposed to chimeric experimentation have influenced the public with the notion that chimeric research is an egregious practice. Many skeptics who disapprove of science in general, are even more opposed to it because of anti-chimeric arguments.
Political Impact
Many political issues have risen since the day the first chimera was born. One of these issues is whether or not a patent can be bought for a human-animal chimera. What this really comes down to is the nature of patents and whether they apply to living organizms. Journalist Varun Shivhare wonders whether it is ethical for "corporations [to] really 'own' genes or animals?" (Citation 13). Patents are temporary statements granted by a country's government to inventors as a tool for getting scientists and researchers to publish their experiments openly with no secrets. Most patents last for about twenty years. With this in mind, who is to say whether or not we count human-animal chimeras as humans, animals, or property? It seems the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has already taken a stand on this when it refused human-animal chimera patents citing they were too close to humans. This led Jeremy Rifkin to state, "The ruling has significant implications for the future of the biotech industry." (Citation 13).
Economic Impact
Currently, the United States is in the worst depression we have seen in decades. But it would seem, that if the government sticks to plans, it would have topull money out of the air to fund stem cell and chimeric research. Below is a table showing the money invested in stem cell/embryonic research from 2003-2007, and estimated figures through 2018.
Here is a type of chart that shows the amount of money that has been spent, and that probably will be spent in favor of stem cell research. (Citation 6)
If the US continues to fund stem cell research at this rate, which is crucial to the contnuance of chimeric research, it is going to take its toll on our country. In short, chimeric research is very expensive, and if nothing comes of it, that's a lot of money wasted; money that could help the US get out of debt.
