China has relatively relaxed rules on using primates for research

The short-term memories of monkeys have been improved by inserting human genes into their brains, Chinese researchers have claimed.

Eleven rhesus monkeys were modified to carry the human MCPH1 gene, an important portion of DNA for brain development and size. The work gave rise to warnings that more extreme experiments may follow.

The Chinese study is believed to be the first attempt to create a “transgenic” monkey whose grey matter would mirror certain characteristics of the human brain.

A team led by Su Bing, a geneticist at the Kunming Institute of Zoology in southern China, said that they had carried out the experiment to enable future insights into the origin and evolution of human cognition.

“In the long run such basic research will also provide