TPM: O'Donnell In 2007: Scientists Have Created Mice With Human Brains!

[JMS]

Douglas Adams was all over this decades ago...

[/url]

O'Donnell In 2007: Scientists Have Created Mice With Human Brains!

Delaware Republican Senate nominee Christine O'Donnell has previously sounded the alarm against cloning and stem-cell research -- and what she's described as the current terror of human-mouse hybrids.

We previously noted that O'Donnell had attacked her primary opponent, Congressman Mike Castle, based on his support for stem-cell research. But it turns out that her interest in the subject goes back much further. As Little Green Footballs has spotted, O'Donnell appeared in 2007 on The O'Reilly Factor, to speak out against such research in response to the cloning of some monkeys. Then came her warning on human-mouse hybrids.

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/09/odonnell-in-2007-scientists-have-created-mice-with-human-brains.php

[Thiebear]

The wheels match the eyes..

Its all about the accessories..

So your saying she mispoke in 2007 while on O'Reilly?

Instead of saying human brains she should have said human brain cells?

It's possible that O'Donnell was misremembering this 2005 report on scientists who successfully grew human brain cells within mice

It's in the article you quoted? (did you do some creative quoting (keep it REALLY short) and add a picture that isn't related to ensure the lazy people wouldnt see that in your post)?

[JMS]

So your saying she mispoke in 2007 while on O'Reilly?

Instead of saying human brains she should have said human brain cells?

No I'm saying she read a book by E. B. White and thought it was non fiction.

It's in the article you quoted? (did you do some creative quoting (keep it REALLY short) and add a picture that isn't related to ensure the lazy people wouldnt see that in your post)?

My "creative quoting" was the first paragraph of the article. And since I included the link to the story I'm thinking my funny unrelated picture outside of the quotes likely lead more people to read the story not fewer.

Ultimately I think it shows pretty poor judgement to confuse scientists growing human brain cells in mice and scientists giving mice human brains. The two are not equivelent and her failure to understand the difference resulting in a rather alarming statement from somebody who didn't know what she was talking about.

[Dan T.]

Mice with human brains? So what? With Vinny Cerrato it was shown we can create humans with mouse brains.

[grhqofb5]

It's in the article you quoted? (did you do some creative quoting (keep it REALLY short) and add a picture that isn't related to ensure the lazy people wouldnt see that in your post)?

Damn, the guy was trying to be funny for once... Try to enjoy it.

[zoony]

not only that, but they grew the mouse within a rat body!

[Dan T.]

"The Mouse and the Motorcycle" was one of my favorite books as a kid.

[grhqofb5]

No I'm saying she read a book by E. B. White and thought it was non fiction.

Ultimately I think it shows pretty poor judgement to confuse scientists growing human brain cells in mice and scientists giving mice human brains. The two are not equivelent and her failure to understand the difference resulting in a rather alarming statement from somebody who didn't know what she was talking about.

Ok, she's nutty. Not only nutty but dumb. Dumb and nutty. Bad combination. Case closed.

[twa]

Seems rather foolish to focus on but then we've been thru three yrs of birther nonsense ...so

http://www.nature.com/nbt/journal/v16/n11/abs/nbt1198_1040.html

Research Article abstract

Nature Biotechnology 16, 1040 - 1044 (1998)

doi:10.1038/3481

Chimeric brains generated by intraventricular transplantation of fetal human brain cells into embryonic rats

Oliver Brüstle1,2, Khalid Choudhary1,4, Khalad Karram1,2,4, Anita Hüttner1, Kerren Murray3, Monique Dubois-Dalcq3 & Ronald D.G. McKay1

Abstract

Limited experimental access to the central nervous system (CNS) is a key problem in the study of human neural development, disease, and regeneration. We have addressed this problem by generating neural chimeras composed of human and rodent cells. Fetal human brain cells implanted into the cerebral ventricles of embryonic rats incorporate individually into all major compartments of the brain, generating widespread CNS chimerism. The human cells differentiate into neurons, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes, which populate the host fore-, mid-, and hindbrain. These chimeras provide a unique model to study human neural cell migration and differentiation in a functional nervous system.

There are numerous interesting studies going in this field ,from regenerating human brain cells to rat brain controlled technology

Chimeric brains are old news

I'm curious JMS how you think she thought we could stuff a human brain into a mouse/rat?

[JMS]

I'm curious JMS how you think she thought we could stuff a human brain into a mouse/rat?

I honestly hadn't extrapolated it out.....

Perhaps butter,, WD-40, or some sort of eastern cranial massage theoropy..

[Teller]

I'd settle for being able to stuff a human brain into a human president. We're 0 for our last 2.

[Hubbs]

Ok, she's nutty. Not only nutty but dumb. Dumb and nutty. Bad combination. Case closed.

And a witch. She even weighs as much as a duck, for God's sake!

[No Excuses]

Abstract

Limited experimental access to the central nervous system (CNS) is a key problem in the study of human neural development, disease, and regeneration. We have addressed this problem by generating neural chimeras composed of human and rodent cells. Fetal human brain cells implanted into the cerebral ventricles of embryonic rats incorporate individually into all major compartments of the brain, generating widespread CNS chimerism. The human cells differentiate into neurons, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes, which populate the host fore-, mid-, and hindbrain. These chimeras provide a unique model to study human neural cell migration and differentiation in a functional nervous system.

And this is bad thing because? I work in a lab that deals with muscular degenerative diseases. It's heart breaking to see young kids with muscular degenerative problems. Such methods of research are our fastest way for preventing these problems in the future. But don't let facts get in the way of ignorance, Mrs. O'Donnell can paint use of mice in medicinal research in whatever ignorant negative light she can. I doubt she even knows what half those terms in that selected quotes are, just that we're making human mice/hybrids for our sick twisted pleasures.

EDIT: Also that research didn't make fully functioning human brains in mice. So yes, Christine O'Donnell is in fact an idiot speaking out of her butt.

[MassSkinsFan]

And this is bad thing because? I work in a lab that deals with muscular degenerative diseases. It's heart breaking to see young kids with muscular degenerative problems. Such methods of research are our fastest way for preventing these problems in the future. But don't let facts get in the way of ignorance, Mrs. O'Donnell can paint use of mice in medicinal research in whatever ignorant negative light she can. I doubt she even knows what half those terms in that selected quotes are, just that we're making human mice/hybrids for our sick twisted pleasures.

EDIT: Also that research didn't make fully functioning human brains in mice. So yes, Christine O'Donnell is in fact an idiot speaking out of her butt.

Oh c'mon Vishal - admit it - you DO get sick, twisted pleasure every time one of those super-mice comes rolling off the assembly line.

If only she knew what sorts of cells are used to create medicines, combination products and vaccines, her head would explode (maybe not a bad thing)!!!

[Spaceman Spiff]

I dunno...as someone who's on the right side of the spectrum (but not entirely thrilled about it) I hate the fact that people who supposedly represent me are this stupid. Her, Sarah Palin and the rest of the wingnut conservative crowd that give the rest of us a bad name. And when I say the rest of us I mean the people who want to pay low taxes and generally want to be left alone by anyone/everyone. Live and let live...more libertarian, I suppose.

I haven't been paying much attention to the political crap lately as I'm more turned off by it than I ever have been, but good God this woman is a bat**** dunce. People should be embarrassed to be associated with her and the party she represents.

[Predicto]

Mice with human brains? So what? With Vinny Cerrato it was shown we can create humans with mouse brains.

I laughed.

[twa]

And this is bad thing because? I work in a lab that deals with muscular degenerative diseases. It's heart breaking to see young kids with muscular degenerative problems. Such methods of research are our fastest way for preventing these problems in the future. But don't let facts get in the way of ignorance, Mrs. O'Donnell can paint use of mice in medicinal research in whatever ignorant negative light she can. I doubt she even knows what half those terms in that selected quotes are, just that we're making human mice/hybrids for our sick twisted pleasures.

EDIT: Also that research didn't make fully functioning human brains in mice. So yes, Christine O'Donnell is in fact an idiot speaking out of her butt.

It did however make fully function human brain cells in rats.

Whether it is a good or bad thing is another topic,I think we could advance science faster with looser restrictions on human subjects(but I'm a nut)

[Tulane Skins Fan]

Assuming scientists have actually created mice with human brains.... so what? Is that really scary? I mean, we can still kick their asses.

Then again...

[Henry]

It did however make fully function human brain cells in rats.

Whether it is a good or bad thing is another topic,I think we could advance science faster with looser restrictions on human subjects(but I'm a nut)

Actual quote:

"They are -- they are doing that here in the United States. American scientific companies are cross-breeding humans and animals and coming up with mice with fully functioning human brains. So they're already into this experiment."

Emphasis mine.

BIG difference between cells and fully functioning human brains. And does she know what cross-breeding is? Are we really cross-breeding mice and humans? That would be impressive.

For the sake of O'Donnell supporters I hope this was just a flub and not what she actually meant.

[nuposse87]

Seems rather foolish to focus on but then we've been thru three yrs of birther nonsense ...so

http://www.nature.com/nbt/journal/v16/n11/abs/nbt1198_1040.html

Research Article abstract

Nature Biotechnology 16, 1040 - 1044 (1998)

doi:10.1038/3481

Chimeric brains generated by intraventricular transplantation of fetal human brain cells into embryonic rats

Oliver Brüstle1,2, Khalid Choudhary1,4, Khalad Karram1,2,4, Anita Hüttner1, Kerren Murray3, Monique Dubois-Dalcq3 & Ronald D.G. McKay1

Abstract

Limited experimental access to the central nervous system (CNS) is a key problem in the study of human neural development, disease, and regeneration. We have addressed this problem by generating neural chimeras composed of human and rodent cells. Fetal human brain cells implanted into the cerebral ventricles of embryonic rats incorporate individually into all major compartments of the brain, generating widespread CNS chimerism. The human cells differentiate into neurons, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes, which populate the host fore-, mid-, and hindbrain. These chimeras provide a unique model to study human neural cell migration and differentiation in a functional nervous system.

There are numerous interesting studies going in this field ,from regenerating human brain cells to rat brain controlled technology

Chimeric brains are old news

I'm curious JMS how you think she thought we could stuff a human brain into a mouse/rat?

This doesn't defend what she said, if that is what you are going for. I've had classes in the past discussing chimeric organisms and their development so unless I am reading this wrong I think this eludes more to the fact that fetal cells can be utilized to make full differentiated mice cells(neuronal). I'm kind of nitpicking here but when they differentiate into functional mice neurons, oligodendrocytes and the like, I don't know if they are what we can consider "human" cells. If I had a subscription to nature I'd love to read to read the rest but alas, I can't.

[Tulane Skins Fan]

And does she know what cross-breeding is? Are we really cross-breeding mice and humans? That would be impressive.

Well, some people - like Richard Gere - appear to be trying anyway.

[AsburySkinsFan]

As if they weren't hard enough to catch.

[China]

So I guess they put the brain in to go along with the ear?

[Henry]

Well, some people - like Richard Gere - appear to be trying anyway.

I do have to say that while I think this woman is totally batty, continuing to point out her battiness may not be the best plan. She may very well turn into one of those candidates who says something incredibly dumb, and when the incredibly dumb thing is pointed out her defenders will just say 'those darn liberal elite intellectuals, picking on the regular old Joe for not getting a liberal education!' and then she will become a champion of the growing, and quite scary, anti-intellectual movement in this country.

[Tulane Skins Fan]

I do have to say that while I think this woman is totally batty, continuing to point out her battiness may not be the best plan. She may very well turn into one of those candidates who says something incredibly dumb, and when the incredibly dumb thing is pointed out her defenders will just say 'those darn liberal elite intellectuals, picking on the regular old Joe for not getting a liberal education!' and then she will become a champion of the growing, and quite scary, anti-intellectual movement in this country.

oh c'mon, she's done. She was roasted the second someone found the tape of her talking about satanic altars.