It has been reported that a group of researchers from Oregon have for the very first time created chimeric monkeys by using embryonic stem cells. Earlier, the researchers had been experimenting over chimeric mice but this is for the very first time when they have successfully produced chimeric monkeys.

The monkeys thus produced have been named as Roku, Hex and Chimero. It has been informed that the researchers have taken genetic material from six monkeys to create Roku and Hex. Although the research is the first of its kind, critics have slashed the researchers for conducting such experiment. They have accused for disregarding the welfare of the animals.

Roku and Hex are twins and their names have been derived from the Japanese and Greek languages. It was not an easy task for the researchers to create them. It took researchers years to conduct experiment over the reproduction of the monkeys. Throughout the process many were pregnancies were aborted because of the complications.

In previous experiments, the researchers from all over the world have been able to produce rats, mice and rabbits but it is for the very first time when chimeric monkeys have been born using the embryonic stem cells.

The researchers are hopeful that the experiment would pave the way for improved IVF treatment and contraception. Moreover, growing human organs would also become possible though the help of embryonic stem cells.

The findings of the Oregon researchers have been published in the renowned pages of the journal Cell. However, the researchers of the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection (BUAV) have criticized the findings of the experiment. Dr. Jarrod Bailey from BUAV was reported as saying, “Using such highly sentient animals in this research raises enormous ethical concerns and imposes a heavy welfare burden, resulting in severe suffering to many animals”.