--- title: "Japanese Scientist Wants to Grow Human Organs In Animal Embryos" description: "A Japanese scientist from the University of Tokyo just got permission from the government to create animal embryos that contain human cells, Nature reports. The plan is to transplant those cells into surrogate animals. In March, Japan’s education and science ministry made the controversial move to double back on a decision to ban […]" date: "2019-07-31" modified: "2019-07-31" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/neoscope/japanese-scientist-human-organs-animal-embryos" categories: - "Health & Medicine" tags: - "animal gene editing" - "animal research" - "embryo" - "growing organs" - "the digest" --- # Japanese Scientist Wants to Grow Human Organs In Animal Embryos ![A Japanese scientist from the University of Tokyo just got permission from the government to create animal embryos that contain human cells, Nature reports.]() *\Image: Shutterstock/Victor Tangermann\* ## Human-Animal Embryos A Japanese scientist from the University of Tokyo just got permission from the government to create animal embryos that contain human cells, [*Nature* reports]() — work that could lead, eventually, to growing human organs in animal hosts for the purpose of transplantation. The work is significant because of its perilous ethical territory, as well as its political background: in March, Japan's education and science ministry [made the controversial move]() to reverse a decision to ban the growth of animal embryos that contain human cells past 14 days or transplanting those embryos into surrogates. ## Sheep Surrogates Lead researcher Hiromitsu Nakauchi has already genetically modified rats and mice to not grow a pancreas. Next, his team will try to place human stem cells in fertilized eggs of those animals to enable them to grow a pancreas again. The goal is to one day grow human organs inside pigs or sheep, responding to a shortage of organs available for transplantation. ## Future Shock But before you think such an experiment could have us end up with man-animal hybrids and [cats with human celebrity faces](), you should think again. “The number of human cells grown in the bodies of sheep is extremely small, like one in thousands or one in tens of thousands,” Nakauchi [told *The Asahi Shimbun*](). “At that level, an animal with a human face will never be born." **READ MORE:** [Japan approves first human-animal embryo experiments]() \[*Nature*\] **More on human-animal experiments:** *[Chinese Scientist Defends Splicing Human Brain Gene Into Monkeys]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()