No Longer Science Fiction: Aborted Human Fetuses Harvested to Grow Kidney Organs For Transplantation Into Humans

Human fetal kidneys harvested from aborted babies are being surgically implanted into adult rats to grow new kidneys to be transplanted into awaiting human adults.

This procedure, which is under rapid development, is being framed as a medical breakthrough by scientists who appear to be completely blind to the moral and ethical issues at stake in such a scheme.

“[This] is definitely the first time an actual whole human organ has been grown in an animal, and has sustained the life of that animal,” explains Eugene Gu, the founder and CEO of Ganogen, Inc. in Redwood, Calif. “Our long-term goal is to grow human organs in animals, to end the human donor shortage.” [1]

LiveScience.com reports, “The research shows that it is feasible to remove a kidney from an aborted human fetus, and implant the organ into a rat, where the kidney can grow to a larger size.”
From the Ganogen.com website:

Study results have been published in the Jan. 22 issue of the American Journal of Transplantation.

THE ETHICS QUESTION

To its credit, Live Science directly addresses the moral issues surrounding this technology, even offering quotes from a bioethicist who says the practice won’t be tolerated. As reported on the website:

Arthur Caplan, a bioethicist at NYU Langone Medical Center, said the study itself did not concern him. However, “there is no way we’re ever going to use fetal human kidneys or any other solid organs for transplant,” Caplan said. “American society is morally uncomfortable enough about abortion that growing organs from fetal remains will never be accepted, and will be banned in state after state.”

The researchers said they hope Caplan is wrong…

Read More HERE