Mix'n'Match: Shades of Mrs. Frisby and Rats of NIMH

Those of you who have read the children's book, Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH, may be suprised to find out that it is no longer merely in the realm of fantasy -- National Geographic News reports that animal-human chimeras are being created one more regular basis, including mice with human brains. This raises a slew of ethical concerns. To name just a few, what ethical, social, and legal controls or reviews should be placed on such research? Does the creation of chimeras inflict pain and suffering on them? Will the transgenic intervention cause the newly created beings to possess physical or behavioral traits that readily distinguish it from what is usually perceived to be “human”? Should these newly created beings be given moral respect and legal status? The creation of such chimeras as been banned in Canada and several bioethicists in the United States, including George Annas and Cynthia Cohen, have called for a such ban. George Annas submits that by changing the notion of "humanness" we undercut our notions of human rights and dignity. I submit that we should be looking to preserve and expand human rights and human dignity despite that fact our ‘humanness’ and human nature is changing. - Linda Glenn