This is a little scary. I’m thinking that science has gone just a little too far.
Human milk from a cow? Read for yourself after the jump.
GM cows give ‘human’ milk
Cows have been genetically modified to produce human milk, it has emerged.
Human genes were introduced to a herd of 300 cows by Chinese scientists to provide an alternative to human milk.
The researchers are confident the milk will be as safe to drink as milk from ordinary cows.
‘The milk tastes stronger than normal milk,’ said Prof Ning Li, director of the China Agricultural University. ‘Within ten years, people will be able to pick up these products at the supermarket.’
The researchers reportedly used cloning technology to introduce human genes into the DNA of Holstein dairy cows before the genetically modified embryos were implanted into surrogate cows.
The milk produced by the offspring contains a human protein called lysozyme, which helps to protect infants from bacterial infections during their early days of life.
Other cows produce another protein from human milk called lactoferrin, which helps to boost the number of immune cells in babies.
The GM milk offered ‘similar nutritional benefits as human milk’, Prof Ning said.
He added: ‘The modified bovine milk is a possible substitute for human milk.’
However, the development has dismayed those opposed to GM foods. A spokesman for the Royal Society for the Protection of Animals said it was ‘extremely concerned’ about how the GM cows had been produced.
And Helen Wallace, director of biotechnology watchdog GeneWatch UK, said: ‘There is a question about whether milk from these cows is going to be safe for humans.’
Genetically modified? As in ‘Mutant’?
If human genes were introduced into these cows, how long will it take before they start taking on human characteristics?
