The research was conducted by members of the US Salk Institute including Juan Carlos Izpisua (back) (Picture: Xinhua/Sipa USA)

The world’s first monkey-human hybrid has been created by scientists in China.

Researchers led by Spanish scientist Juan Carlos Izpisua have announced the successful creation of an unborn hybrid which could eventually be used to create human organs for transplant.

Scientists from the US Salk Institute and Spain’s Murcia Catholic University genetically modified monkey embryos to deactivate genes that help form organs as the hybrid grows.

They then injected human stem cells, which are able to grow into any type of specialised cell, into the growing embryo.


However the experiment was stopped well before it was ready to be born.

The experiment was ended after two weeks (Picture: Shutterstock / Andrii Vodolazhskyi)

The research was conducted in China despite the Spanish-led team as research of this kind is illegal under Spanish law.



Dr Izpisua made headlines in 2017 after he and his team created the first human-pig hybrid.

However this was a far more successful experiment due to the more significant differences between pigs and humans, and researchers have had more success with research on rats.

Announcing part of the primate research this week, Dr Izpisua said: ‘We are now trying not only to move forward and continue experimenting with human cells and rodent and pig cells, but also with non-human primates.

‘Our country is a pioneer and a world leader in these investigations.’

Project collaborator Estrella Nunez, of Murcia Catholic University, added: ‘The results are very promising.’

Primate research has proved more successful than research on pigs (Picture: STR/AFP/Getty Images)

However, Dr Nunez highlighted the cost of the research, adding: ‘If we combine the human/pig, human/rat and human/monkey research, it is many hundreds of thousands of euros.’

The recent round of research has also raised ethical concerns, particularly the possibility of a monkey hybrid with a human consciousness.

Dr Izpisua said each experiment only lasted 14 days, following an international ethical ‘red line’ set by researchers.

He has since vowed to continue research on primates in the hope of eventually creating organs for human transplant.