杏吧原创

IF IT鈥橲 monkeys today, will it be humans tomorrow? That was the question
posed after the birth of ANDi, the genetically engineered rhesus monkey.

The answer, if we have to rely on the methods used to create ANDi, is that it
won鈥檛 be any time soon. There are just too many uncertainties.

For starters, using retroviruses to add genes is unpredictable. ANDi was
given the gene for a green fluorescent protein, but he doesn鈥檛 glow because the
gene isn鈥檛 working. It may switch on when ANDi is older, but who wants to stitch
genes into humans if they don鈥檛 work? Also, the rates of making viable embryos
and producing live offspring are too low
(see 鈥淭oo close for comfort鈥�).
The researchers started with
224 eggs. Out of five births, two monkeys were stillborn and two others didn鈥檛
carry the gene.

It鈥檚 even questionable whether this procedure has value for making transgenic
monkeys. We don鈥檛 know yet if ANDi carries the added gene in his sperm, and even
if he does, his offspring may not express it. This is a well-known problem with
using retroviruses for shuttling genes. And given monkeys鈥� close links with
humans, would it be ethical to use such an inefficient system to engineer new
varieties?

So, what does this research add up to? ANDi鈥檚 creators say he is 鈥減roof of
principle鈥�. But he won鈥檛 even be that if he doesn鈥檛 glow.

There鈥檚 no doubt that the research is symbolic. We can now give an extra gene
to a primate. But claims that it is anything more than that are monkeyshine.