Scientists create monkey chimera using stem cells method for the first time

A monkey born in China with green fluorescence in its brain and eyes was the first live-born "chimera" of its kind. Key points: Scientists in China say they created a monkey chimera using stem cells injected into an embryo Chimeras are organisms that contain cells from two or more individuals Researchers hope the breakthrough will aid medical research into things like motor neuron disease The green glow in many of the monkey's tissues is proof that it was created partially from a normal embryo and partially from stem cells: a method only previously used in mice and rats. Analysis of the live chimeric monkey showed there was an average of 67 per cent contribution of genetic material from donor embryonic stem cells in the 26 tissues studied. "I think editing macaque stem cells and then producing a macaque chimera with human disease genes for ALS will be the highest priority." One of the study authors Miguel Esteban, from CAS and Chinese genomics company BGI, said the difference with the results to previous monkey chimeras was the high level of donor cells present.