The Coming Global Human-Animal Hybrid Crisis

Remember while you were watching the State of the Union Address (or better yet, the highlights on The Daily Show) the president came up with this bizarre statement:

Tonight I ask you to pass legislation to prohibit the most egregious abuses of medical research: human cloning in all its forms, creating or implanting embryos for experiments, creating human-animal hybrids, and buying, selling, or patenting human embryos.

Like most people, you probably said, "HUMAN-ANIMAL HYBRIDS? What the hell is this guy talking about"

It's not The Island of Dr. Moreau, it's the science of transgenics where bits of DNA from one animal are included in the DNA strand of another animal. One example reported in the BBC was of goat DNA spliced with a piece of spider DNA. The resulting goat produced spider web silk protein in its milk. The protein could then be extracted from the milk and used to produce materials derived from spider web silk. Naturally occurring spider silk is the strongest fiber known to man with a tensile strength greater than and weight less than steel, and is 25 percent lighter than synthetic, petroleum-based polymers. Its uses range from aircraft bodies and bullet proof vests, to artificial tendons, ligaments and limbs.

Naturally, human DNA pieces can be used in the same manner. SF Gate reported on similar experiments for splicing human genes into goat DNA to produce certain proteins in goat's milk that could be extracted and used in medicines to treat such things as cystic fibrosis and hemophilia.

The BBC goes on to report that the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) is considering an application to license a natural human protein extracted from the milk of goats.

If the EMEA says "yes" on Thursday, Atryn will become the world's first medicine to be produced from a genetically modified animal and represents the vanguard of this long-promised science.

It's not Saturday Night Live's Goat Boy, but it nevertheless opens up ethical issues. Before this complicated topic gets trivialized with facile arguments that never address the real issue (remember stem cells) here are some links to get you started on a better understanding.

Ethical Issues in Genetic Engineering and Transgenics
Understanding Genetics: Human Health and the Genome
Pharming for Farmaceuticals

The Blog that Ate My Soul - Part 2

It took a trip overseas where only high quality, non-American news media was available to remind me what this blog was all about.

I haven't posted for a while. You see, this blog was originally meant to document items from the media business, under-reported and censored news, and media omissions and distortions. The last one was what burned me out. I started with a story or two on some lie the president told, or how his media talking heads perpetuated it. As this administration is so adept at lying, it got to be the only thing I posted. I'm telling you, that will wear you down real fast.

Look what it did to the guy who ran anticoulter.com. The constant spew of hatred, ignorance and lies from this woman coupled with a media that for some reason keeps giving her a platform finally wore him down. I know the feeling. I even wrote about it once myself.

There are many sites now that document the constant lies. The biggest and most relentless is Media Matters for America. I've put their RSS feed over on the right so you can just go there and surf all you'd like. I'm getting back to basics.