Vacanti mouse
Encyclopedia
The Vacanti mouse was a laboratory mouse
that had what looked like a human ear
grown on its back. The "ear" was actually an ear-shaped cartilage
structure grown by seeding human cartilage cells into a biodegradable ear-shaped mold.
at the University of Massachusetts
and Dr. Linda Griffith
-Cima, an assistant professor of chemical engineering at M.I.T. in 1995. Created to demonstrate a method of fabricating cartilage structures for transplantation into human patients, a resorbable polyester fabric was infiltrated with bovine cartilage cells and implanted under the skin of a hairless mouse. The mouse itself was a commonly used strain of immunocompromised mouse, preventing a transplant rejection
.
and advocacy groups and anti-genetics
groups, who protested the use of the mouse for the experiment. Then in the October 11, 1999 New York Times, the anti-genetics group, Turning Point Project, placed a full page ad and used this picture with an inaccurate caption which read, "This is an actual photo of a genetically engineered mouse with a human ear on its back".
The photo of the mouse was passed around the internet, mainly via email, sometimes with little to no text accompanying it leading many people to speculate whether the photo was real.
Mouse
A mouse is a small mammal belonging to the order of rodents. The best known mouse species is the common house mouse . It is also a popular pet. In some places, certain kinds of field mice are also common. This rodent is eaten by large birds such as hawks and eagles...
that had what looked like a human ear
Ear
The ear is the organ that detects sound. It not only receives sound, but also aids in balance and body position. The ear is part of the auditory system....
grown on its back. The "ear" was actually an ear-shaped cartilage
Cartilage
Cartilage is a flexible connective tissue found in many areas in the bodies of humans and other animals, including the joints between bones, the rib cage, the ear, the nose, the elbow, the knee, the ankle, the bronchial tubes and the intervertebral discs...
structure grown by seeding human cartilage cells into a biodegradable ear-shaped mold.
The earmouse
The earmouse, as it became known, was created by Dr. Charles Vacanti, an anesthesiologistAnesthesiologist
An anesthesiologist or anaesthetist is a physician trained in anesthesia and peri-operative medicine....
at the University of Massachusetts
University of Massachusetts
This article relates to the statewide university system. For the flagship campus often referred to as "UMass", see University of Massachusetts Amherst...
and Dr. Linda Griffith
Linda Griffith
Linda G. Griffith is an American biological engineer, and Professor of Biological Engineering and Mechanical Engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where she also directs the ....
-Cima, an assistant professor of chemical engineering at M.I.T. in 1995. Created to demonstrate a method of fabricating cartilage structures for transplantation into human patients, a resorbable polyester fabric was infiltrated with bovine cartilage cells and implanted under the skin of a hairless mouse. The mouse itself was a commonly used strain of immunocompromised mouse, preventing a transplant rejection
Transplant rejection
Transplant rejection occurs when transplanted tissue is rejected by the recipient's immune system, which destroys the transplanted tissue. Transplant rejection can be lessened by determining the molecular similitude between donor and recipient and by use of immunosuppressant drugs after...
.
Controversy
The first pictures of the mouse were released following a 1996 BBC TV broadcast, Test Tube Bodies, produced by the British science show, Tomorrow's World. The pictures were circulated worldwide, appearing on many front pages and on TV programs such as the Jay Leno show. Sometimes colloquially referred to as the "earmouse", it provoked horror among the animal rightsAnimal rights
Animal rights, also known as animal liberation, is the idea that the most basic interests of non-human animals should be afforded the same consideration as the similar interests of human beings...
and advocacy groups and anti-genetics
Genetics
Genetics , a discipline of biology, is the science of genes, heredity, and variation in living organisms....
groups, who protested the use of the mouse for the experiment. Then in the October 11, 1999 New York Times, the anti-genetics group, Turning Point Project, placed a full page ad and used this picture with an inaccurate caption which read, "This is an actual photo of a genetically engineered mouse with a human ear on its back".
The photo of the mouse was passed around the internet, mainly via email, sometimes with little to no text accompanying it leading many people to speculate whether the photo was real.