The Council for Science and Technology Policy (SSTP) under the government of Japan will make recommendations to the cabinet of ministers to allow research on the cultivation of human organs in animal organisms for their subsequent transplantation to sick and disabled people.
As reported in this organization, the corresponding decision was made today at the level of SNTP. In July, the project will be formally submitted to the Cabinet of Ministers. Implementing the council's recommendations will require amendments to Japan's 2001 cloning legislation.
It's about learning how to implant human induced stem cells into an animal's embryo. This combined embryo will then be implanted into the female, who will give birth to a baby with a human organ suitable for transplantation.
This year, experts from the University of Tokyo conducted successful experiments of this kind on pigs. At the same time, in Japan, it is still allowed to introduce human cells into an animal embryo only for theoretical research. In order to open the way to the creation of full-fledged technologies for the production of "spare parts" for humans, such restrictions will have to be lifted.
Government experts are aware of the significant ethical issues associated with such scientific developments. Therefore, permits for the cultivation of human organs are supposed to be issued in a limited way, studying each specific case.
